I’m not a business person, I’m a historian.  Nevertheless, even to my untutored eyes, it seems that Hungarians could do a better job of promoting themselves and their businesses.  There are so many beautiful and interesting places to see  in Hungary, sometimes it boggles the mind. But, the Hungarians don’t always make it easy for…

There are spring festivals in every city and town in Hungary. In Pecs, on just about any evening during the festival, you can choose between a variety of concerts: classical, opera, blues, and jazz. There are plays, dance recitals, photo and art exhibits, and all kinds of special programming. When we met with Zsuzsanna Nagy,…

There is a public component to the Fulbright grant.  All of us, for example, are expected to give a public talk about our research at our respective universities.  (I will give one at Debrecen and one at Miskolc about my current research on liberty of conscience and family violence in the early days of colonial…

First a disclaimer:  I have no affiliation whatsover for the product which I am about to laud. You may recall that during our first week in Debrecen, my colleague and friend Zoltan took us shopping.  When we got to the dairy aisle, he suggested that I try a pöttyös which translates in English to “dotted.”…

There was a satellite dish already installed outside our bedroom window, so after our arrival in Debrecen one of the first errands  (with Erica’s help) was to activate the account with the provider, UPC.  It’s interesting to note that you have to provide all kinds of documentation, including your passport and your mother’s maiden name,…

My father had two brothers and a sister.  When my siblings were kids, they were part of a clan.  I am the baby in the family and I was just two when we left Hungary, so I never really got a chance to know my extended family. I have to confess that there were times…

I have just returned from Berlin where B and I and several of my Fulbright-Hungary colleagues attended a conference organized by the German Fulbright Commission.  Germany is celebrating two anniversaries this year:  60/20– it is the 20th anniversary of the collapse of collapse of communism and the reunification of Germany.  And it is the 60th…

In October 2006, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the 1956 Revolution, riots broke out in the city of Budapest.  Click here to view some video of the events (including policemen on horseback charging the crowds) and  here to view a series of photos of the event.  I have heard conflicting versions of…

Respect is innate to the Hungarian language.  When I was a child, I was taught the polite form of address for people who were older than I (at the time it seemed like they all were).  The expression literally means “I kiss your hand.” For me, the term was gender-neutral.  I used it to address…

We went to the wine merchant’s again.  Bernard sat in the window seat while I did the talking.  Find a nice dry red wine, he said.  The wine merchant smiled when he saw Bernard looking glumly our way.  He loves to talk about wine and find new vinters or labels, I explained.  But because he…