Budapest, New Frontier

I just want to share with you how to live and work here at Budapest, at least based on my two weeks tenure. I remember my arrival here at Budapest two weeks ago, it was kind of odd feeling because it’s different from other places I’ve been before the past few years. Aron and Peter picked me up from the airport around 9 or 10PM, and we headed to “my” apartment after a stick of cigarette. Yes, they provided me a two-room apartment in Bodafoki ut, where I can share the flat with the other colleague which is expected to be here before the end of October. Yahoo, me kasama nako! =)

At the apartment, they’ve bought some good tasting pizza ala Hungarian style, with matching diet coke in can. To my surprise, the refrigerator was filled with assorted items like sausages, cheese, yogurt, juice, bread, bottled water, beer and among others, which is good enough for 3-4 days of consumption. Not bad. After they've showed me the amenities and taught me how to use this and that, they already went home, past 12 midnight and I need to rest from a more or less 15 hrs flight from Manila to Amsterdam, then to Budapest. Oh before I forget,

they also gave me a new cell phone to use, but no international call please! Damn, my tired body was not about to give up, and my eyes were not closing the way I wished. So I immediately unpacked my laptop and checked the wireless connection. After one or two minutes of configuration, I was already surfing the net, chat here, chat there, check mails, send SMS to my family and other peeps in the Philippines. That was about 3 hours. Then, finally my eyes gave up and I got to sleep for some papers to process the following morning.

Aron (Office director/HR Manager), and Peter (Technical director/CTO) are such a good example how Hungarians are nice people and hospitable to foreign guests. Based on the statistics, Hungary has the least crime rate against foreigners. Well, good to hear that if that’s true. At least that’s how I feel the way they treated me. Or maybe just for the first few months? Let’s see... =)

Living in another country is always an exciting and an adjustment as well. In the office, I could hardly talk with most of my officemates, not because I’m not good in English (hehe), but basically because they could hardly speak English than I do =). Their native language is Hungarian (a Finno-Ugric), which is relatively different from any other European languages. But most of them know German language, and maybe other European languages. I tried to buy Angol to Magyar (English to Hungarian) dictionary, but I know its not gonna be easy to learn their language. Good thing is, Aron and Peter are very accommodating to me.

English to Hungarian Dictionary

Now, let’s talk some info about Hungary (Magyarország), and its beautiful capital of Budapest (bʊdɑpɛʃt). It is a landlocked nation in Central Europe, being surrounded by Austria, Romania, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Ukraine, and Serbia.

The Budapest (“Paris of the East”), long time ago were two separate cities, partitioned by the famous Danube river (or simply Duna). The lovely Buda to the West is the hill side, while the Pest is the urban plain side to the East.

Budapest and Danube River


Budapest Arena

What about the food? You may ask. Well, Hungary had produced some great Mathematiciaans and scientists, but they also have unique way of cuisine. If Filipino has adobo as unofficial national dish, Hungarians offer their goulash, a soup with potato and meat. At first glance you might call most of their food “patyam” (or patyambahan in tagalog) style of cooking, as they seem to just mix everything in there. But most of them taste good, though a bit salty most of them. I’ve also noticed that potato is very prominent in their recipes. So I’ve learned to grocery and cook my own food at home and during weekend. Thanks to google for providing me lots of help in my cooking chores =)

Mushroom chicken, rice, cucumber with diet coke =)

Their house architecture is also remarkable. Some are even more than a hundred years old, but able to maintain the gothic architectural design, which truly amazing! Some of the places I’m looking forward to experience or see are: the Castle District (the royal house) at the Buda hill, overlooking the Pest and the Danube river, the Budapest’s business center (maybe the noisiest and busiest place in Budapest – gimik time!), Budapest’s Stock Exchange (as others say “Europe’s biggest and most architecturally obnoxious trading room”), the Lake Hévíz (largest thermal lake in the world), Lake Balaton (largest lake in Central Europe), and maybe there are other places in Hungary that worth the visit.

Ok folks, got to go now. Its almost 12 midnight so.. Lets continue this with some techie stuff.

To be continued..