4 posts tagged “hungary”

"Under the Frog" is the name of a powerful book Agi and I both just read.  The cover describes it as a "black comedy."  The author (Tibor Fischer) was born in Britain to Hungarian parents who escaped from the Russians in the big Hungarian Revolution of 1956.  He's essentially a British guy but did live in Budapest for two years as a journalist right before the Wall fell and published this book three years later.

He's also one of the most talented writers I've ever read and you could say his sense of humor is devastating--kind of like Kurt Vonnegut.  Agi heard me laughing out loud all the time as I went through it.  I probably wouldn't have loved the book as much if I hadn't lived here but I'd recommend it nonetheless.  It was shortlisted for the Man-Booker prize (the top British and Commonwealth book) back in 1993.

Like most countries, Hungary has its own computer keyboard layout that's different from the U.S./U.K version.  It drove me nuts when I first tried to use a Hungarian keyboard back in 1999 because all the z's and y's are switched (among other things).  So I was always "happz" to hear from people and the mornings were "chillz."

Anyway, Agi and I found it kind of funnz that one of the main computer chain stores here calls itself "QWERTY Keyboard".  We thought that if any store might have a English keyboard, it would be this one.  But no luck!...  We'll keep looking and I might buy one from Amazon UK.

Last night we went to an excellent concert featuring a pianist from Hungary in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Hungarian revolt against the evil Russian communist empire.  (By the way, the death of that ex-KGB officer in Britain recently has the fingerprints of the KGB all over it.  Very intriguing if Putin was involved too of course). 

The concert was put on by the Palo Alto Philharmonic and featured Liszt, Bartok and Brahms.  Brahms was a German/Austrian who was heavily influenced by Hungarian music and I'm looking forward to visiting Austria again and checking out a number of cities (including the Sound of Music city Salzburg).  Perhaps this Summer!  (Austria, as you know, is directly west of Hungary and only about a 4 hour drive from Budapest.)

Another cool thing about hearing Brahms last night is that the orchestra played the one and only song I ever really learned to play (after about 2 years of piano lessons as a youngster)--the Hungarian Rhapsody (yes, how appropriate given who I've ended up marrying).  I performed that song as a 5th grader I believe at a mini recital and can actually still play it today (though my sisters in particular are sick of hearing it.)

Last Monday was the 50th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Revolt against the Soviet Union.  Oct 23, 1956 was probably the most important date for Hungarians in the 20th Century.  It was the height of the Cold War and thousands of young students had had enough of tyrannical and corrupt Soviet rule.  Fighting ensued and the Russian troops were actually driven out for a week or so by the brave young Hungarian fighters who didn't have much weaponry or equipment to speak of. 

Unfortunately, although the Voice of America and other U.S. and European diplomats had implied that the Hungarians--and other oppressed European countries suffering under communism--would receive western and U.S. assistance if they rose up to "roll back" communism, we didn't act to help the poor Hungarians.  The Russians sent back in a massive group of armored tanks and then brutally crushed the Hungarian uprising, killing at least 2000 people (similar to our 9-11 death toll actually).  You can still see many bullet holes on the beautiful old buildings throughout Budapest.  Much of the worst fighting took place near the Corvin Cinema, which is nearby where Ivy's brother Miki lives.  In front of the Corvin Cinema, there is a statue of a young Hungarian freedom fighter with a gun.

Last week Ivy and I talked a lot about what a tragedy for Hungary it was to have the Russians occupy them for over 40 years and impose their corrupt,  inefficient, unjust, hypocritical and immoral communist system upon this nation.  For decades, people couldn't leave the country and had to live in unpleasant "commie condos" and either queue up or sign up on a waiting list for things most of us Americanos talk for granted:  fresh fruit, appliances or a car (only a Trabant, Wartburg, Skoda or--if you're lucky and could afford it--a Lada were allowed).  Also, there were restrictions on where you could travel:  the hot (or rather, the only) destinations were:  Stalingrad, Bulgaria, the Ukraine...  As much as America and Western Europe is overly materialistic and focused on acquisition and consumption, we should all be grateful for the genuine freedom to go where we want to, buy what we prefer and speak, believe and worship freely