OpiniON Hungary

Hungarian flavour

2012-01-15T13:58:00.002+01:00

I was at home at the end of November last year, watching the stately run TV channel ”m1”, hoping to learn about what is going on in the world around us. I did not hear much about all the hassle around the Hungarian economy, the most recent turnaround of the government, calling for IMF assistance again in a ’new form of co-operation’ with the monetary fund… They tend to avoid sensitive topics.

The festival of Hungarian flavours provided a good opportunity to broadcast some positive messages to the public, helping us to forget the pathetic economic situation the country is in. Ok. Let’s talk about Hungarian flavours.

One of the guests was the young representative of a company specialized in the organization of gastronomic events and in the promotion of traditional Hungarian food products and drinks. The other one was a chatty mushroom and jam expert, who – unlike the young chap - was keen on his subject, but there was no room for redundant details in this conversation.

To be more exact, there was no sane conversation at all. The TV presenter - struggling to follow the instructions she received through her earpiece (so it seemed) - asked random questions and kept changing the subject whenever the mushroom guy brought up something he rightfully expected to talk about.

The desired goal of the interview was to demonstrate that local retail stores can benefit from buying from local producers of traditional Hungarian products. This is an ’appropriate’, well-deserved message. Viewers can sit back and rest assured that things are going well, the government is in control and does what is necessary in favour of local stores and producers…

What to do if the interviewee does not know what he is expected to answer? Ask the same question again! Still no joy? Ask again! But if the dumb guy clearly does not get the point? Tell him what to say: YES. Yes, local stores can benefit from this and this is not just an aim, not just a festival, this has already begun, we have had enough of mass products and supermarkets… It is not so difficult, is it? We can now sit back.

What made me write all this? How did I guess what really happened during this interview?
There is always a little mistake that uncovers the truth. In this case, the studio control room operator – either puzzled by the intellectual heights of the discussion or tired of his constant efforts to avoid showing grimaces of incomprehension – inadvertently captured the moment when the interviewer inaudibly articulated the answer to her own question!

Ridiculous - was my first thought. Why did she do it? – was the second. Why on the morning programme? It was not a peak time political debate, nothing serious at stake. I have come to the conclusion that this is the nature of propaganda. Misinformation is everywhere. Since November last year, a number of media scandals have proved me right.

Pension. Pension? Pension???

2011-01-14T00:56:00.006+01:00

Since money is in short supply and the success of the Orban government's widely disputed economic program is based on the fast recovery of the Hungarian economy, drastic measures are necessary.

All sides agree that money is a key element in achieving government objectives, but there is disagreement about where to find it. Our government has found surprising answers to the dilemma and -as part of the new policies- they have seized control of mandatory private pension funds, which will be reintegrated in the public pension system.

Privately managed pension funds were introduced in 1998 to supplement state pensions. There are about 3 million people who have money in the private funds. Their savings will be automatically transferred to the state system unless they decide to go against the flow and opt out.

Now is the time to exercise our right to CHOOSE:

Remain in the private funds and lose our eligibility for government pension (currently 70% of the pension claim) after all future contributions or vote for the government pension system and agree to transfer all funds kept on private accounts into the huge and bottomless bag labelled state pension. This is what I and many call blackmail.

Even if we opt out, they will continue to deduct and move 24% of the salary -paid by the employer- into the state pension system and only 10% of the contribution goes to the private account.

"My wife handles these chores." This was György Matolcsy's explanation for his motives for joining the private pension system 12 years ago. I forgot to mention, he is our economy minister in charge.

A note on the government

2011-01-11T00:00:00.029+01:00

Viktor Orban's center-rigth Fidesz party won a landslide victory in the parliamentary elections last spring. A two-thirds majority gives Fidesz the chance to make any change they deem necessary to lead

Hungary

out of the economic crisis and bring the fiscal deficit problems to a solution.

The optimistic public mood that prevailed in the parliamentary elections last year appears to have vanished, but the governing party (Fidesz) continues to have strong support amongst the people. They were expected to face tough opposition from the socialists and far-right Jobbik, but the socialists are divided with a seriously eroded voter base and Jobbik (far-right movement for a better

Hungary

) is left without political ammo after some of the decisions the governing party made earlier.

In my opinion, Fidesz claims to represent the people of

Hungary

as a whole far too often in its arguments. They like to describe themselves as the executors of the nation's will. The unfortunate fact is that the voters hardly had any idea what would follow after the long awaited victory in the elections, because the new government is very secretive when it comes to details.

Faded documents reveal untold family stories

2011-01-05T00:51:00.008+01:00

A distant relative lives next door to my parents' house. Her son is a 45 year old gambling addict with no regular income. The guy hardly ever does any work around the house. They detest each other and quarrel every day. The house they live in served as a home for many ancestors including my grandfather. It was built more than a hundred years ago and it is showing signs of decay.

After a windy autumn day last year the lady asked my father to help her fix the roof. Up in the loft there was a dusty wooden box full of paper, which she also wanted my father to carry down after realigning the tiles. She was planning to crumple up and burn it all because she does not subscribe to any newspaper and had nothing to light the fire with... - but they made a deal and my father took the old documents home in exchange for some firewood.

This is how my family came into possession of some very old handwritten letters, papers and documents, many of which unveiled stories of the lives of our ancestors. We spent hours examining the content of the wooden box and managed to draw a family tree dating back to 1859.

I found the little stories of my great-great grandparents' every day life most fascinating. Chimney sweepers paid regular yearly visits - unlike present day chimney sweepers - and left written notices of the job accomplished.

Without much doubt, tax returns were easier to fill in than they are today - the old forms seem elaborate but straightforward at the same time. PM Viktor Orbán's near future beermat-sized tax declaration forms will unquestionably change the situation for the better, but his popular vision has yet to become reality.

One day in prison or a fine of 5000 koronas for urinating in public in 1920. We will never know what the delinquent opted for.

When you sell a horse, make sure it survives at least another few days. It can be rather embarrassing when it dies the day after it is sold. The aggrieved party's lawyer had no reason to hesitate and the demand note for urgent repayment arrived one week after the unlucky accident in the year 1924. Impressive, isn't it?

TV ads for low blood pressure

2010-09-07T20:00:00.008+02:00

I do not drink coffee, and I do not think I will ever need to develop the habit of drinking coffee, at least not to keep myself awake. I would rather just turn the TV on, select a commercial channel where the flow of advertisements is rarely interrupted by programmes and – there you go – watch some ads.

Ads in general evoke two out of the many emotions I am capable of experiencing: ignorance is one of them, this usually comes when I manage to press the ’mute’ button in time. Anger is the other one, when the remote control is not within reach…

I dislike medical advertisements in particular. I’ll explain why, through the example of pain-killers. All of the ads I have seen suggest that the one and only remedy for a modern life headache is the modern life pain-killer they advertise. Just take the pill and the unthinkable happens, the pain vanishes.

This is hard for me to accept because of the embarrassing messages I read between the lines: I am led to believe I have no choice. I am educated not to bother trying to find the root cause of the pain. Why wasting time when there is a one-minute workaround. They also indicate that it is natural for everyone else to take pills.

I may be wrong. I may be the lucky one in a million who needs only a glass of clean water and some fresh air to defeat vicious headaches. I exaggerate, of course. But I try not to exaggerate more than ads do.

Pattinka ad - Naked woman posing in a wheat field eating popular Hungarian snack

2010-03-15T20:15:00.002+01:00

This calendar card slipped out of a Raymond Chandler novel (Playback). I assume it served as a bookmark in the past.

The less interesting side - with letters and numbers - contains New Year greetings in three languages: German, Swedish and Hungarian. Before continuing, I feel a strong urge to copy in the average January daytime temperatures in Germany (3°C (38°F) ), Sweden (-10°C (14°F)) and in Hungary (-1°C (30°F)).

The colored side of the card - naked young lady sunbathing in the middle of a wheat field with nothing but one stick of 'Pattinka' in her right hand and another one in the left - conveys totally different messages.

This is a somewhat unexpected, nevertheless refreshing contrast, isn't it? Ok, they missed the season, but what about the target audience? I do not think attracting the interest of adult males is the best idea when we advertise a product primarily consumed by children.

Bizarre may be a suitable word to describe many phenomena that occurred in Hungary after the regime change in 1989. I believe this card symbolizes the awkwardness of the era in a way.

Start counting your chickens

2009-08-11T21:13:00.007+02:00

A growing number of people recognize the importance of healthy eating. At least, there is slowly but steadily growing concern about the physiological effects of artificial substances contained in the food we eat. Organic food is generally thought to be expensive and unavailable to many consumers, but supermarkets and biofood shops are not the only sources available. In Hungary, country-side families seem to re-discover certain values of a not so long forgotten way of life. More and more people produce home-grown vegetables and fruits in the garden. They also keep goats and hens for their eggs. All this was an organic part of everyday life one or two generations ago.

Does it mean that we are going back in time and the development of our society and economy is now in reverse? Certainly not! I believe we are taking small steps to a different direction. One where the rules of consumer society are not so dominant, and this actually does suit my taste.

Overheard

2009-07-31T12:27:00.015+02:00

..an elderly lady talking to her husband on her cell-phone while travelling on the bus on a Monday morning in Budapest. "yes, they are both fine, the baby was born last night, there were no complications, everything is all right...but, listen, I came upon two unattended dogs on the pavement this morning as I was descending the stairs to the underpass. They looked badly-fed and... will you have a look?"

The conversation was short and simple and the husband's responses were easy to guess. Lost in random thoughts inspired by what I had overheard, I visualized scenes from the decent life of an old couple when a middle-aged woman decided to give voice to her undisciplined disagreement. She walked over to the old lady and briefly explained her concerns making sure there is no time for response and got off the bus quickly after withdrawing her forefinger. The core of her argument articulated in one statement: there are people lying in the street! Since it was minutes after their private phone discussion with her husband, this out-of-nowhere verbal attack puzzled the old lady. Being harshly criticized for showing sympathy for animals was not something she was prepared to handle the day after her grandchild was born.

Your blog in a hundred years' time

2009-03-22T17:02:00.005+01:00

Let your imagination soar! Do you believe it is possible that the post you have just saved on your website... Why not? Modern technology enabled mankind to make an immeasurable amount of data available on the internet. What happens to all this information? Does anyone ever housekeep this vast and ever-growing network of interconnected computer networks? Of course, every server has its lifespan and needs to be replaced at some point, but many servers have backup tapes and any information accessible on the worldwide web can be multiplied. By the time the original 'copy' is deleted, there will have been hundreds of replicas; therefore it is quite imaginable that your blog will survive the century.

Our modern history is being recorded almost in real-time on the internet. In a hundred years' time this immense quantity of data will be the source of historical research. We can also anticipate that the offsprings of our great grandchildren will show interest in ancient blog archives. Think twice before pressing the 'publish' button to avoid misinforming future generations. Will they understand why so many people spent precious hours of their time writing blogs? Let's hope the answer is yes and be self-assured enough to say they will find valuable content and have a good time reading it in 2109.

Positive side effects?

2009-03-02T07:14:00.004+01:00

Nobody knows how many people would fall victim of the global crisis, not to mention the magnifying effects of the Hungarian recession we had already felt before the worldwide avalanche started. One of the inevitable consequences of the present economic and social situation in Hungary is that individuals learn to look after themselves and to take responsibility.

Limited choices remain when we can no longer expect the government and our social systems to ensure our lifelong existence and contribute to our relative well-being: protest, fall or adapt. Learning to make long-term future plans, thinking actively about the years ahead trying to find the narrow window of opportunity in today’s turmoil are the options for the ones who choose to look ahead.

How does your government perform in the ongoing global crisis?

2009-02-24T23:23:00.004+01:00

Are you satisfied with the suggestions the political elite in your country has to offer? Do they fill you with confidence or do they discourage you? It is not easy for an ordinary citizen like me to assess how critical the situation is. What I know is that we are in trouble. But how deep? I hear the word 'crisis' every day and it starts loosing its meaning - like the images of massacres and car bomb explosions on the news - I am getting used to it. At the same time, I keep reminding myself to stay alert because what is happening now is likely to change our future.

I believe the Hungarian politicians fail the people they are entrusted to represent. There is no chance in our country that the opposition party (Fidesz, ex-PM Viktor Orbán) and the socialists (MSZP, PM Ferenc Gyurcsány) set aside own agendas and unite their political power for the good of the nation. They can afford to go down the good old path putting political survival ahead of common interests because Hungary is the home of no consequences. Of course, consequences will follow and the price the people pay will be high, maybe higher than ever... we will know soon enough.

Global financial and economic crisis

2009-02-21T23:00:00.008+01:00

We live in times of sweeping change and uncertainty. I doubt anyone can see the light at the end of the tunnel - many do not even know which tunnel they are in... Nouriel Roubini (Professor of Economics at the Stern School of Business at New York University) has predicted the crisis well in advance and was ignored for a long time, but has now become a recognized world-class economist. His predictions are still pessimistic, in his latest interview he talks about the temporary nationalization of insolvent US banks and the growing risks Europe's banking system needs to face as emerging economies - including Hungary - move closer to bankruptcy. I am afraid the worst has yet to come, and this is going to be a permanent recession that we will have to adapt to.

Save energy, turn off your mobile!

2008-11-29T21:02:00.005+01:00

Mobile phones have become part of our life in a matter of years. Our mobile is with us wherever we go and most of us never turn it off. There are professions where immediate availability is necessary, but the vast majority of mobile phone users are ordinary people. Many Hungarian children become happy mobile owners during their kindergarten years and learn to use cell phones before learning to read. I heard stories of teachers complaining about parents who call their children at school when they are still in class. I’m more than sure that these parents use this gift of modern technology to compensate for something – maybe for the time they failed to spend with their kids for various reasons.

Have you ever thought about what you might miss or gain when you are not hooked up to any satellite? The first time I bitterly regretted having a mobile was when my boss gave me a ring while I was on holiday to say they desperately need me at work the day after. Of course, it turned out to be a false alarm, but – since I’m a man who can learn from his mistakes – it made me think and eventually realize that mobile phones are overused.

If you have read this far and still do not totally disagree you might want to consider this: use mobile phones only when necessary, cut the conversations short, turn it off when you go to sleep. My special gift for those of you who are still online is a brain-teaser: 2455 2546866 The numbers hide the name of an American politician. Hint: Mick Jagger = 6425 524437 Have you got your mobile with you? Good luck!

Family ties

2008-11-23T07:34:00.006+01:00

Unconditional acceptance, respect and loyalty, affection that expects nothing in return - so many positive expressions. Is this going to be a post about the Western misinterpretation of an Eastern phylosophy that teaches people how to cut corners on their way to happiness? Hopefully not.

Are families important in today's society? The number of broken homes is increasing. Less and less people are capable of living in families and/or less decide to try to. I believe, however, that families are indispensable building blocks of our society. In less developed countries and in countries like Hungary where middle and lower classes of society are poles apart families are the key to survival in times of financial hardship for the poor. It is always easier to overcome difficulties if united. There are many different types of hard situations in life when turning to your family for support is the last resort.

How do families endure the individualism of modern life? Capitalism stresses competition and individualism. This - when misunderstood - results in the distortion of human relationships - and I think it is often misunderstood in immature democracies. Talking about the unconditional acceptance of another person sounds almost like a joke in a community like this. The good news is that families existed in ancient times and will not cease to exist, however, their role constantly changes throughout generations.

„The truth is rarely pure and never simple.”

2008-11-09T21:33:00.006+01:00

Why do I have mixed feelings about the production of foie gras in Hungary? First and foremost, I feel sorry for the animals. As far as I know, all countries involved int he production of fat liver follow the same method, therefore all duks and geese are bound to udergo the same old process of force feeding.

As a result of the international campaign of a Vienna-based animal rights group (Four Pawn) Hungary’s largest-capacity poultry processor (Hungerit) had to stop its slaughters in September and announced their plan to lay off 200 workers. Four Pawn blacklisted the products exported by Hungerit and some multi-national supermarket chains joined them in their battle for animal rights. The international reputation of Hungary’s poultry processing industry has suffered a major blow and the consequent financial loss is significant – not to mention that hundreds of families -employees and suppliers- have lost their only source of living.

France recognized the potential risks that lie beneath the strengthening of groups like Four Pawn and the growing refusal concerning the controversial feeding process: Foie gras has been declared part of France's heritage and is now under cultural protection.

Force-fed geese – Foie gras

2008-11-06T10:05:00.004+01:00

Fat liver (Foie gras) is the liver of force-fed ducks and geese. Foie gras is a well-known luxury dish in French cuisine and is consumed worldwide. France is by far the world’s largest producer of fat liver, Hungary is the second one. Here is a question that is easy to answer: Are you against the force-feeding of animals? Fat liver production is banned in fourteen European countries – Denmark, Germany, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Italy, Poland, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Ireland and Great Britain - because of the possible health consequences of the feeding process. My second question is: Would you like to taste foie gras? All countries listed above continue to import fat liver even after banning its poduction.

Special destination - Ipolytarnóc Fossils

2008-11-04T06:46:00.013+01:00

Most tourists visit the capital city first, and that is usually the place where the journey ends. Many other destinations remain undiscovered. If you stay a little longer, you might want to see something different after exploring the city of Budapest - places not featured in travel brochures. I do not want this blog to be a site where travel destinations are advertised, but this one is my childhood favourite, probably unknown to many Hungarians too.

The following website is dedicated to the Ipolytarnóc Fossils Nature Reserve: http://web.kvvm.hu/ipolytarnoc/index.php?p=en_home Ipolytarnóc is a small village situated 140 kilometers North East of Budapest in Nógrád County. This site is Hungarian only, but has many pictures and if you skim through the pages, I think it might give you a glimpse of the village - so let the images speak for themselves: http://www.falvak.hu/falu.php?falunev=ipolytarnoc/&a=/var/www/www.falvak.hu/ipolytarnoc

Hospitality - welcome to Hungary

2008-11-01T06:43:00.005+01:00

Hungary has a reputation for being... Well, this is something I cannot tell because I have never visited my country as a foreigner. Of course I could tell you what I like to think - and mybe I will.. but I'd like YOU to come first! Tell me what you have experienced, share your memories (good or bad) after your trip to Hungary, or simply finish the first sentence of this post...

Rural Hungary

2008-10-30T06:39:00.007+01:00

I used to live in a small viallage and finished my secondary school in a country town - the one I mentioned before. My English teacher always encouraged me to write 'essays' on various topics. The title of one of these - I still remember - was "Those who live in a village never feel lonely". I no longer agree with what I used to suppose when I was sixteen, yet, I still believe there is something 'human' about villages. Most Hungarian villagers are owners of the houses they live in. Even if the roof is about to fall, there is a place for them to call home. It is highly unlikely to find a regular job in villages, therefore many commute. Villages, however, have a preserving force and provide a kind of unorganized social security that is not observed in towns.

One possible reason

2008-10-27T22:08:00.003+01:00

One possible reason I can think of is that we are afraid of missing opportunities. Be the first to get on the bus, be the first to pay at the cashier - seemingly without any sane motives; a quality inherited (and amplified?) throughout generations. This attitude -of being the first at any cost- can result in real success in the fields of science and sports where the objectives are clearly defined. We may just have to arrive at a nationwide agreement on what path to follow as a sovereign nation/member of the EU/tiny but conscious player in the global economy to become more successful and make use of our latent potential.

Queues

2008-10-27T07:55:00.004+01:00

My previous post may not project a very nice image of this country, but that is not my goal here. Nevertheless I need to come up with some explanations, because I do not think we are an ignorant lot lacking the brainpower to live our everyday life and relate to one another in a way that is considered normal..

Stand in a queue

2008-10-26T19:04:00.006+01:00

I've just returned from a country town and I'm full of vivid memories of what it feels like to stand in a line waiting for the queue to be absorbed. No, I am wrong here... there are no waiting lines in Hungary, we have waiting mass instead with each individual following their own path...

French lesson on Saturday

2008-10-24T23:13:00.002+02:00

I believe it is very important to learn languages, especially when your mother tongue is spoken by fifteen million people only. It was obligatory to learn Russian at primary school when I was a child - how bizarre. Not that I didn't like it, actually, I was delighted when I first translated and understood a couple of sentences, fragments of a speech a Russian politician made on tv apropos of his visit to Hungary. This was my first 'international' experience. Most of that knowledge has faded, except for some evergreen sentences, such as the Russian equivalent of "Miss, I report you that today nobody is absent" Thanks to the unfortunate 20th century history of Hungary, everyone above the age of twenty-five remembers a few of these phrases.

The remains of the day

2008-10-23T23:25:00.005+02:00

Spent most of my day at work, saw no traffic on the roads this morning, many 'fled' from Budapest today and chose to take a shopping trip to Austria, visit relatives or simply stay at home, commemorations and demonstrations began and ended, (less than expected) violence took place and was handled by police forces... The form of government in Hungary is democracy - make no mistake about it, dear reader. That is one reason why all the above can happen in one day. Let's not prefix the word 'democracy' today.

23 October 1956 – The Hungarian Revolution

2008-10-22T22:58:00.003+02:00

Tomorrow is the fifty-second anniversary of the Hungarian revolution against the communist regime. A day to remember, celebrate and honor the memory of the people who dared to stand up and fight agains the overwhelming dictatoric power. Chances are good that celebrations will not make headlines. Sadly enough, people expect street violence and vandalism in Budapest.