Welcome everyone! I hope everyone could jump over the barriers already. Now everyone deserves a little rest after the exams. You are maybe a little bit surpised that we are talking to you now in English, right? Originally, our magazine is in Hungarian but then we thought why shouldn’t we write something afterall that can reach more people than usual? Our aim was to bring you some really interesting articles about places, entertainment facilities, programs and stuff like this in order to find something in Budapest or in Hungary you haven’t met before.
Eperke Rácz Chief editor
Contents 4 6 9 10 12 13 14
COOLest hotels Studying in the UK Rembradt Have you known...? Are we multicultural?! Theme parks
Drink around the world in Budapest
15 Are you ready for a hearth attack? 16 Invitation
18 What to visit in Hungary? 21 Vows 22 Irish dancing for beginners 25 Pun, why is it fun? 26 How it’s made... 28 Don’t hurry, be happy - Slow movement
29
Renaissance gastronomy experience
30
Sudoku
3
When you think about a hotel a comfortable, warm, cozy place comes to your mind where you can go and enjoy a little free time and relax a bit.
W
hen you think of ice hotels they are not likely to fit this description at all. They cost hundreds per night and have luxurious amenities but the temperature in most of the rooms are are around zero or much colder.
Written by: Éva Borbély
Only about 20 ice hotels exist worldwide. Every year architects and artists sculpt thousands of tons of snow and ice to build these hotels. It’s a sad fact that most of these hotels melt in spring. In December guests can often watch the final phases of construction during their staying, while return visitors can enjoy a whole new design each winter. It’s also very interesting that all the ice hotels are different every year. They change the forms of the buildings year after year. Just think about the fact that in the icy countries lots of people live in igloos which are their natural home. So it is not impossible at all to spend some nights in an ice hotel. But let’s take a look at the prices of these hotels. If you’d like to spend a night in an ice hotel in Sweden, you need at least $450.
4
One of the world’s most expensive ice hotel rooms costs $234,000 which allows guests to design their own suite that can take up to two weeks to create and lasts for only a few months.
Tourism
This ice hotel was the very first one in the world, before other countries like Canada, Finland, Japan, Norway, Romania and Switzerland followed suit. Jukkasjärvi was founded by Yngve Bergqvist, who was trying to look for a way to attract tourists into this swedish town during wintertime. In February 1990, Yngve and his team successfully constructed the first ice building. In 1992, the first clients came to sleep in it because almost all hotels and inns were booked.
If you love the nights, December is the best time to visit an ice hotel, when the darkest nights arrive, and the sun doesn’t rise for some time. This time people can see an amazing phenomenon, the Northern Lights. If you like the warmer weather then visit this place in April or May because that time you could get to experience the midnight sun, when the sun never sets, until midnight.
The building materials are always provided by the nature. All the ice and snow come from the nearby Torne River. A storage room is also built to house more than 10.000 tons of ice and over 30.000 tons of snow, which goes back to the river when the climate gets warmer. What’s even more fascinating about ice hotels is that they are rebuilt every year but always in a different form, making it not just a building, but a constant art project that offers a different experience to each visitor. Now let’s talk about the ice bar at the hotel which is just perfect for everyone who would like to have a drink „on the rocks” because it’s ice glasses keep every drink as cold as ice. And we all know that very cold temperature also kills bacteria so you’re sure to have a very clean drink. Visitors can also enjoy some outdoor activities offered by the ice hotel: Adventurers can try to climb the mountains or visit the fjords. Skiing and dog- and reindeersledding are popular activities too. Everyone who likes arts can try joining ice sculpting sessions, where people can sculpt with ice guided by professional artists, of course. Ice hotel opens during the early days of December, when visitors can see how the hotel is being built. As days go by, more and more rooms are added to accommodate more guests.
For Eastern Europeans there is also a great ice hotel to stay at and we don’t even have to travel a lot to see this magical place. Balea Lake Ice Hotel was the first ice hotel in Eastern Europe and it was built in 2006 in Romania at an altitude of 2030 meters. In winter it is only accessible by cable car because all the roads are closed at that time of the year. This hotel is very close to Balea Lake, where every year craftsmen wait for the lake to freeze, before they use the ice to build the small 12 room Ice hotel and its ice church, ice restaurant and ice bar. This hotel opens in December and is opened until it melts in March or April. In a hotel room like this bedding, furs and special sleeping bags are provided. You can find the bathroom facilities nearby. As for the free time activities people can try out skiing, sledging or riding a snow mobile. Now do you also think that the ice hotels are undeniably one of the coolest places in the world?
Tourism
5
Written by: Kinga Kiss
Studying in the UK Aka how to deal with the anarchy in the UK, and the British education system. Because it is not enough to drive on the wrong side of the road, pretty much everything works upside down here, than on the other continent.
W
hen I am writing this article, I just finished my first semester at the University of Greenwich on a Tourism Management course. I finished my first year at a Hungarian uinversity in 2012 and spent the summer working at the Olympic Games in London. The spirit of the city caught me instantly, so I asked for a gap year at the school and spent a year in England. When I moved back to Budapest in 2013, I knew I didn’t want to continue my course and applied for a different school, and been offered a place there as well. However, living in Hungary for three more years instead of England was not really what I wanted to do
6
England
so I rejected both institutions and jumped into the English education system. I started everything from scratch. The first result in Google was the UCAS website (basically the British version of Educatio, all the higher education courses of the UK can be found there and application happens on the website as well). I found out that the application period opens on the 1st of September and closes on the 15th January for the courses starting in the following September. When I had a closer look, my first thought was that it is absolutely different from what I have seen before and how I have applied for a course in Hungary. To be hon-
est firstly I was scared, how I will be able to deal with it, but it turned out to be as easy as 1x1. Since I do not hold a British passport, I had to prove my knowledge in English. Foreign students have to posses an IELTS or TOEFL certificate on the first hand. I went for IELTS, that can be taken at any major cities of the world, and it is organized by the British Council. Secondly, students need to provide their high school results (the finals only). In the next step I would recommend to choose the courses. This part is a bit more student friendlier than in Hungary. Applicants can choose up to five courses, and will have an answer from all of them by May, and students will make their own decisions which one they would like to accept. You do not need to worry about the order of the schools when you apply, plenty of time is given later to decide that. The selection of universities and courses also much more diverse, there is a search engine to help with this decision. You can choose a course with a foreign language or without, choose a course with a placement (sandwich year) or not. Plenty of options are given to tailor your course as you please. Personally, I have chosen a sandwich course, which means I am going to make an internship is my third year (anywhere in the world), and return to the university in my fourth year. This is not compulsory, but highly recommended to do so, as a future employer will be happier to employ someone with a one-year experience in that industry. Most of the students return to their fourth year holding a job offer before even graduating. During my first semester I have already collected lots of information about companies working in partnership with my university, and I know that our department provides (and will provide) lots of help with employability. Moreover, the Greenwich University is a pioneer on this field, all of us has a little Employability
Passport. There we collect points for extracurricular activities, Erasmus offers, society memberships, having a part time job or even a LinkedIn profile. Basically our department motivates us this way to do a lot more than just attendig lectures and doing homework.
Once you know where you would like to apply, you will need to provide a reference letter from a tutor or professor of yours and you need to write your personal statement as well. Both letters should be focused on why you are the right person for that course, and how you achieved your experiences and acquired your skills. It is recommended to write it after your decision about the courses, as you need to write about your interest in that field, and why have you chosen that particular university. All of these steps need to be completed by the 15th January, and results can be received anytime after that day. The system is quite fast, I received two offers on the 17th January already! However, some of them took their time until the end of March, but do not worry if they make you wait‌ Once you are sure which one you prefer just confirm it in the system. But do not sit back and rest, start the applicaton for the tution fee loan. There is
England
7
a massive 9000 pounds to be paid every year usually, so you had better get a loan. Students do not need to pay it back until their annual salary will be over twenty thousand pounds after graduating. The form changes every year (it is roughly twenty pages long…) and
it can be downloaded from the HMRC (the UK tax office) website. It is essential to fill up the correct form for EU students, and fill up everything correctly, British officers are a bit (I mean very) funny about details… This has to be done by the end of May, even if you do not hold a confirmed offer. More surprises came when the academic year started. Sadly, they usually don’t organize Freshers Camps like in Hungary, but they do invite everyone to the campus for loads of group activites and welcome drinks. It has pretty much the same purposes as a camp, we meet lots of people from our department, see the future lectures, and start getting to know each other. They also hand out the timetables – I can tell it is the best part! Usually everyone has only four or five subjects each year, which means eight classes a week (loads of free time!!). One of my subjects is Professional Practice, where we are basically learning how to write CVs, do correct referencing, manage our time, do presentations or group works.
8
England
The tutor for this subject is our (it means about twenty people in my group) personal tutor as well, just like a form-master in high school. She is the first person to contact if we have any problems or queries, and we can book one-to-one appointments with her. These seem to be childish and easy, but they do pay off later, and I personally find it very useful. Six hours of individual learning are recommended every week for each subject, however, I think this system is more flexible and we don’t need to stick to a complicated timetable. It definitely requires more responsibility and independence, but I find it absolutely managable. On the campus and in the library (three floors in a brand new buliding with a roof garden!) they offer hundreds of computers, books and printers. In the past month the library was 24 hours open everyday, so I could have done my work whenever I wanted, which was a great help. Also, the first year is more about getting used to the system. I did not have any exams in my first semester just a few essays had to be handed in to practice academic writing, referencing and working for deadlines. The whole acadamic year will be finished by April. There will be exams at the end of the second semester but usually they do not count towards the degree.
It is hard to squeeze all my feelings and emotions about the English education system in less then twenty pages. It is definitely different from the Hungarian, absolutely pointless sometimes, very very bureaucratic, but I still think it was a perfect decision.
Exhibition that is worth a visiting: Rembrandt Budapest is not just famous for its fashionable and dynamically developing restaurants and catering units that attract many young tourists to eat and entertain, but offers a wide variety of cultural events also. Now here is one brand new exhibition for those who are interested in art and culture: Rembrandt and the paintings of the Dutch golden age.
T
he exhibition can be visited from the end of October at The Museum Of Fine Arts. It represents the pinnacle of Dutch culture in the 17th century. We can learn many things about the masterpieces of the main figure of this era. Besides there are lot of pieces to fall in love with other artists by the collaborating museums: Rijskmuseum (Amsterdam), Louvre (Paris), Prado (Madrid), National Gallery (London) and The Metropolitan (New York). We can also take a look at the famous paintings and the latest ones, which came from Leiden and Firenze (Uffizi). Rembrandt was born in Leiden, 1606 and died in Amsterdam, 1669. He is one of the most recognized painter and Dutch artist in the world, thanks to his unique painting technique. That was the pinnacle of Dutch culture, trade and science. His style was influenced by Lastman and his paintings were detailed, religious and allegoric. When he lived in Amsterdam, he painted dramatic scenes and used strong colors. By the end of 1630’s, he created lots of landscape paintings. From 1640, his works were affected by deep emotions. 10 years later, his style changed, but we can recognize his characteristics: dramatic scenes, strong contrasts, lightshadow, biblical and historical themes. He created many paintings: mainly portraits, gravures and drawings. That’s why he is
Written by: Bogi Halasi
considered an outstanding painter. His most famous works are as follows: Self-portrait, Samson betrayed by Delilah, Portrait of a Man at a writing desk, Portrait of a young woman, Burstof an old man, The holy family, Minerva, The Blinding of Samson, Danae, Man in Russian costume, Portrait of Herman Doomer.
His paintings can be found worldwide, since a lot of museums have their own collection to show these masterpieces to the visitors. This is a unique chance not just because the visitors have the possibility to see a detailed and broad exhibition for the first time and it represents 7 topics of the Dutch painting, but this is the last prominent exhibition as the museum will close because of renovation. All in all, it is highly recommended to visit this exhibition, which is open until the 15th February.
Exhibition
9
Written by: Sarolta Prokopics
?
Have you known...
We all know that we sometimes tend to live in the rat race of modern life. Our days are only about studying, working and trying not to lose our minds between two exams. But what about the world around us? Focusing only on our studies won’t give us enough perspective and we will never really be aware of the world we live in. That’s why I would like to share with you some interesting news in connection with tourism so that you can catch up with the latest happenings and be able to build on them in your studies or later in your career.
H
ave you known that Siófok is going to be a millionaire? Even if it is only figuratively speaking as the biggest town on the beach of the Lake Balaton is realizing 1 million guest-nights for the end of the year. Due to the colorful and interesting events and programs not only in summer but also in autumn and winter, Siófok is getting more and more attractive for
the tourists. You can inquire about the latest programs on a very new facebook site called „Siófoki Évszakok” which was created by the Siófoki Fürdőegylet Turisztikai Egyesület in order to provide us up-to-date information about the city and its happenings. In autumn the Fish Festival while in winter the Ad-
10
Announcements
vent Market attract more and more visitors every year. The Tourinform Office in Siófok is the second most visited office in Hungary as there were days in the high season when more than 1000 people stopped by a day. Have you known that lots of accommodation from the Tisza region were awarded on the 27th of November? On what purpose? At the Accommodation of The Year award ceremony plenty of accommodation and lodgings competed with each other in different categories from the different parts of the country and also from abroad. There were main awards like The Accommodation of the Year which went to the Bambara Hotel (Felsőtárkány); The Ambitious Settlement in Tourism of the Year went to Abádszalók and also the Innovative Accommodation of the Year found its owner in Abádszalók in the aspect of the Butik Design Rooms; The Settlement in Tourism of the Year went to Csesznek; Foreign Hotel of the Year went to Hotel Szeifert (Sovata); Foreign Apartman of the Year went to 3 Palme Apartmani (Crikvenica). According to the 40 000 votes and 250 000 guest evaluations which
were received during the competition, the apartments are seemed to be more and more popular among the families who would like to travel with their children and stay in a really comfortable place which feel like home to them. If you are eager to know which accommodation was awarded as the most romantic or most family-friend one, read the Turizmus Trend magazine or visit the website www.turizmusonline.hu. And also stay tuned because on the 23th of January, 2015 the Hotel of the Year Award ceremony will be held in the Corinthia Hotel Budapest where the 3, 4 and 5 stars hotels will compete for the prizes!
targets: customers, employees and partners. Its aims involve the integrity of the digital technology into the customer journey and the continuous development of the services for the investors and partners. The plan will come to life through eight programs and its first results can be seen as early as 2015. Four programs (Mobile First, Customer Centric, Seamless Journey, Mice & B2B) aim to improve the knowledge of customers, the welcome they are given and the services provided for them. The other four programs’ (Employee Friendly, Owner & Franchise Centric, Infrastructure Transformation, Business Intelligence & Analytics) targets are the group’s employees and partners. In order to be more up-to-date with this digital transformation of the Accor, visit: www.accor.com. Have you known that where you can use a four-seater ski-lift in Hungary? Nowhere else than in the Bakony - or specifically in Eplény - where the Nordica Skiarena is opened to the public from the 28th of December. More than forty snow cannons produce 600 m3 snow per hour, this way already 10 000 m3 snow together with 10 cm natural snow covers right now the ski courses. According to the plans, you can find the course 1, the T1 training course and probably the course 1/b as well open so altogether 1347 m courses can be used by the visitors. If you become hunger after the cold and exhausting skiing, you can bite something in Mother Holle Restaurant or in the so-called Kemencés Büfé.
Have you known what Leading Digital Hospitality is? This is the latest strategy plan of the Accor, the world’s leading hotel operator with more than 3,600 hotels, which is meant to be a global answer for the quickly changing market in the area of modern technology and customer behaviors, not to mention the challenges which are coming with these. The strategy has focused on three
Announcements
11
Written by: Nanett Kalapos
Are we multicultural?! Right, so you happen to know a lot foreign people, you watch US series on a weekly basis and are familiar with world news. Does it mean that you are multicultural?
A
ccording to the Oxford Dictionary, being multicultural means no more than „relating to or containing several cultural or ethnic groups within a society”. Of course in our rushing and evolving world multiculturalism has been discussed many times by politicians and experts by focusing mainly on its economic benefits and effects on education so basically its influence on the whole society. Let’s be honest, it is a touchy subject only if it is not discussed with your friends therefore I will try to keep my emerging political overtone low. However I would like to give you a wide variety of choice regarding to the actual term. So here we go with a few more phrases quoting from BBC News (February 2011): according to Lord Sacks multiculturalism was intended to create a more tolerant society, one in which everyone, regardless of color, creed or culture, feel like home, moreover he thinks of multiculturalism as dissolving national identity, shared values and collective identity. On the other hand Antony Lerman sums this whole idea shortly up by defining multiculturalism as fusion in which a culture borrows bits of others and creatively transforms both itself and them. The latter is my absolute favourite maybe because it is relatable on a daily basis (given that I am not worrying about tolerance and human rights in every single free minu-
12
Culture
te of mine even if it is an important part of our life. Pardon me!). Following this idea of creative transformation, we could say that having several Italian restaurants, a true waffle factory (Go-Free), other restaurant owners from all over the world in the middle of the Jewish district flooded by tourists makes the 7th district multicultural? Wait a minute…. Does it mean that being a hipster equals being multicultural? (Oops, getting on a bumpy road here.) Behind all its style faux-pas, skinny distressed jeans, fair-trade coffee cups all we have is a bunch of individuals ruling the world in the biggest cosmopolitan cities while mashing cultures and ideas. Well, believe me; I wasn’t planning on ending up here, making a comparison between such dividing questions.
To sum it up, I do think that no one can avoid accepting multiculturalism. We are all trying to be different yet most of us are building on the same base. Look around and try to understand the world ‘cause believe me, it is magical.
Written by: Anna Mohácsi
THEME PARKS
I think everybody loves travelling around the world. We travel because of the weather, to relax, to be with our family or friends. But have you ever heard about theme parks?
T
heme park is a group of entertainment attractions and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large number of people. There are a lot of this type of parks in the world but now I would like to talk about the top 5 of them. Harry Potter Theme Park It is located in Florida and you can visit the Universal Studios and Universal’s Islands. Every member of the family can share unforgettable experiences together. You can have the ultimate adventure, have fun with your kids, rejuvenate yourself, have a romantic dinner, challenge yourself on incredible theme park rides, and relax by the pool in a beautiful Florida setting. In London you can travel to Roxfort by that train- in which Harry, Hermione and Ron were sitting -throught the 9 and ¾ station.
launch a touring exhibit, The Hunger Games: The Exhibition, in summer 2015. The exhibit will promote the final chapter of The Hunger Games series. Twilight Theme Park Everybody knows Edward Cullen and his Bella’s story. Lots of teenager girls want Twilight park to come alive but Stephenie Meyer would not like to create this amusement park because she said that it would be boring after Harry Potter and the others. SeaWorld in California While SeaWorld California has come under fire recently, with questions being raised about the care of its whales, visitors keep coming to see Shamu and other marine animals perform. It is good for every family and children because they can see lots of sharks, fish and wild animals. Last but not least is the… Walt Disney Studios
The Hunger Games Theme Park Lions Gate has already inked a partnership with theme park creator Thinkwell Group to
You can meet with your favourite cartoon characters for example Mickey Mouse or Goofy. You can taste Disneyland’s pizza. Do not forget to try the rollercoaster which is an amazing experience. You can travel around the castle and Indiana Jones park or you can be Alice in Wonderland. If you travel abroad please try one amusement park if you can because it is an unforgettable experience.
Entertainment
13
Written by: Orsi Szabó
Drink around the world in Budapest You’ve been living in Budapest for a while and you are fed up with the Hungarian ruin pubs? You’ve visited Szimpla a hundred times and you want to drink something else then a rosé spritzer? I have collected a list for you about the different nationality pubs in our beautiful city. Ireland Close to the Kálvin Square you can find the oldest Irish pub in Budapest, whose name is Irish Cat Pub. Here everyone can get to know what the traditional Irish hospitality means. During the day it’s a perfect place for family dinners or friendly conversations until late afternoon, when the night falls and the pub wakes up, orange juices are replaced with Guiness and Kilkenny and the waiters start serving whisky instead of coffee.
14
American style, the furnitures are made of wood, the waitresses are wearing hula skirts and you get those delicious cocktails in a coconut or some other nicely decorated glass. This pub is also in the city center, in the middle of Király Street. Naturally, you have to pay for this design (as all these awesome things come with a cost), so neither the drinks, nor the dishes are cheap. Japan If you are interested the culture of Far-East there is a place in the heart of Budapest in Széchenyi István Square which takes you to Japan, called TOKIO. Here everything is a bit cyberpunk: nice traditional Japanese meals, cocktails with newage music. Beyond the menu, somewhere among the neon lamps, the LED lights and a giant robot feet begins the world of TOKIO.
Hawaii
Cuba
Would you like to have a real cocktail (not the ones you get in Morrison’s Club, which I can hardly name cocktail) in a nice area, feel like you are on the beach close to the ocean? Then the perfect place for you is Rumpus Tiki Bar. The whole bar was designed in Native
La Bodeguita in Medio opened in Havana in 1942, but now it has a franchise pub in Budapest, too. The name means pub in the middle of the street, so it’s not a surprise if I say that you can find this pub in the center, in Dob street. As you step into the restaurant or the bar you immediately feel like you are on the other side of the world. Next to the extremely delicious traditional Spanish dishes during the night they await you with Latin music, salsa dancers, long drinks and an amazing atmosphere. The prices are not really expensive, but it’s worth to reserve a table in the bar also (usually there are a lot of foreigners). Don’t hesitate to check it out, you will love it!
Drink
Szöveg: Lakatos Viktor
Are you ready for a heart attack? Hamburger - simple but amazing meal. It is eaten all around the world but mainly in the States and now it’s having its renaissance in Europe. Gourmet burgers they have called them exactly the same as in the USA for decades: everything which is made freshly (no frozen patties or french fries).
M
eanwhile the healthy lifestyle has also conquered a lot of people: raw, vegan macrobiotic or light diet. If we are talking about the burger, everybody knows that burgers offered by restaurants aren’t targeting the healthy guys. But there is a place same as hell to WHO: Heart Attack Grill, Las Vegas, Nevada.
In this restaurant the aim is to offer as unhealthy meals as they can… And actually you have no chance to eat or do anything healthy. Butterfat shakes, chocolates, cigarettes, onion rings, chili cheese fries, hot dogs and of course, burgers are on the menu. Just reading the sentence before you put extra 2 pounds on you! We have a lot of choices, but the place is mainly famous for its burgers. This time (but
only this time) taste doesn’t, but SIZE comes first. If I say burgers are enormous it’s not an overdrawn: Heart Attack Grill keeps the Guinness World Record for the highest calorie burger. Now it is called Octuple Bypass Burger, and it has 8 beef patties (2 kg), 8 slices of cheese, 2 whole tomatoes, 2 whole onions, 40 slices of bacon and chili on eight levels in a bun. How much calories do you think it contains? You might have guessed it although you may not believe it: barely 20.000 KCAL! Just for your information, according to the WHO the suggested calorie intake for an average human is between 2000-2500 kcal. So that means with one burger you can get enough energy for 8 days! The owner, Mr. Basso always says in every interview: “Don’t come to my restaurant. It is bad for you and will kill you!” Unfortunately the name of the restaurant is not a coincidence and Mr. Basso is not lying. There have been a couple of people who got heart attack during or after the meal and some of them also died. Actually I had the opportunity to eat here but I only tried the 3-leveled burger. It was the worst burger of my life… However, the restaurant was unique, it looked like a hospital, I got a patient coat and nurses served the meals. As I couldn’ eat my burger, I was spanked on my butt at the end for three times really hardly. Unhealthy, really bad burgers but with extraordinary service, and don’t forget the best: if you are over 160 kg, you eat for FREE! So what are the consequences? Absolutely worth it!
Restaurant
15
You could your ar
Can’t you see it anywhere?
16
just fIND rticle here...
? Well... we can’t either. These pages are waiting for you!
Be the member of our team! agyalap@gmail.com
17
Written by: Eszter Nóra Biczó
What to visit in Hungary?
F
irst of all, welcome to Budapest! You who are reading this article are probably an ERASMUS student I suppose. If I am right and you are here in this great city to spend an awesome semester at the BBS, then I hope you will like my recommendation about the places you should visit in Hungary. You may have known or heard of some sights I suggest further on but these are the places I personally like the most in my country. So please enjoy the time in Budapest and in Hungary and I wish you a lot of unbelievably hilarious experiences!
Lake Balaton If you are here for longer time you should definitely go to our biggest lake which is also known as ’the Hungarian see’. It is better if you go there in the summer when you can swim in the lake and sunbath but it is also great if you travel to the lake in the other seasons. The bigger hotels have got wellness and spa departments as well so having some relax is always guaranteed. I personally prefer Balatonfüred and Tihany which are
18
Sightseeing
very nice, quiet cities in the north part of Balaton. Siófok is known as the party city at the lake, but most of the clubs are open
only in the summer. For some foreigners the lake could be disappointing and they don’t understand why we love the Balaton, but usually the Hungarian families spend there at least a week every summer so it is definitely an important part of our culture. Be a Hungarian for a day and visit Lake Balaton! Városliget in Budapest London, Paris, New York and other big cities have got their own famous parks. In Budapest it is known as the ’Városliget’. In this park there is a lake which is the biggest ice skate rink in the winter. There is a nice building called the castle of Vajdahunyad which is actually an exact copy of a castle in Transylvania. In the Vajdahunyad Castle the Museum of Hungarian Agriculture operates.
to travel to Eger, Pécs or Tokaj where you can find some historical sights and some wine cellars where you can taste wines from the vintners. If you are in Hungary for a longer period I suggest you to discover the countryside a bit because it is also a good opportunity for a teambuilding with the other students. Szentendre
In this park you can find the famous Széchenyi Bath which is the biggest thermal bath in Budapest. At Városliget there is the Budapest City Zoo and the well-known, very elegant Gundel Restaurant. You can take a nice walk in the park any time but it’s better to avoid it in the dark nights. It is worth to go there and enjoy the nature a bit!
If you don’t want to travel for hours or your friends / family members are visiting you and you want to show them a bit of the Hungarian countryside, you should go to Szentendre. This little city is only 45 minutes from the city centre of Budapest by public transport. There are some nice museums and good restaurants in Szentendre so you can spend a day there without being bored. Once you are there, please go to Szamos confectionery and try some of the great cakes! Take a walk
Wine tours You can’t leave Hungary without tasting our famous wines. There are several wine regions which are worth to visit. I recommend you
Sightseeing
19
along the Danube and enjoy how the time slows down and the getaway from the hustle and bustle of Budapest.
Stephen Basilica. A fascinating view will greet you at the end. Don’t miss it!
Cafés in Budapest
The Parlament is very close to the BBS so you can even go there one day before/ after school. It was recently renovated so it is nicer than before. If you want to avoid the queue, buy your visitor ticket online! It’s worth to have a look at the inside of the beautiful building.
The tourists usually know about the famous ruin pubs in Budapest which I shouldn’t introduce to you – I guess you are already familiar with these. However I would like to mention how many good cafés there are in Budapest. There are some modern ones like ’Fekete’ (meaning black) or ’Tamp & Pull’. Here you can drink the best coffee in the town. If you are interested in the classic style, I suggest to visit ’New York Café’ or
The House of Parlament
Alexandra Bookcafé (known as the ’Lotz Room’). In case your family is visiting you and you want to fascinate them take them to Four Seasons Gresham Palace for the Herend Afternoon Tea where the original sets of Herend porcelain are used at the serving. The top of St Stephen Basilica
There are the well-known sights I could recommend like the Gellért-hill, Heroes’ Square or Margaret Island but I think you can discover these alone. If you want to be informed about the newest things of Budapest or you need some tips what to do in the city, please use the website: www.welovebudapest.hu/en
Even if you are not religious, it is highly recommended to walk up to the top of St
20
Sightseeing
and you won’t be lost ever. Enjoy your time in Hungary!
Vows
Written by: Vivien Varga
And what happens after Christmas? When all of the ornaments are in the boxes again, the lights are off, and you have forgotten even the smell of the gingerbread?
W
hat happens when it’s Monday again, Darling? Where are the relatives and that deeply-beloved feeling? Where are all of them, the lights, the smells, the tastes, the warmth of home? Sweetheart, you are maybe wrong, when you feel that your world is empty. You are surely wrong. Do you have memories? Phone numbers to call? Someone to drink a glass of wine with? A picture from last summer that makes you smile when you find it in your phone? Than it was worth. What about the last year? Did you have a vow? And is it accomplished? Would you try it again? I had a vow. Not a vow, but a pray. I asked the Almighty to give me someone to make memories with, someone to be here. And now you are here, Darling. And now you are in my arms, laying on my sofa and speaking about the before-us-time. Do you know how much time did I pray for this? How great blessing is it? Do you feel the same? We are lucky. This year I have different prays. I ask the Lord to give me solutions to find, choices to make well, people to meet, friends to hug, presents to give, teardrops to cry. What else do I pray for? Grace, always grace from God, to make struggles easier. I ask for problems to find power in myself, to realize how strong I can be when I am alone. I wonder sometime, whether can anyone be so close that I feel loneliness never again? Are we always alone, deep inside, when the world is silent? Can be
the completeness experienced inside? I have only questions, the answers are yours. By the way, I feel you really close to me. Do you know what is the best in this newyear at all? When you stop for a moment and look back just for a second. Did you make new friendships that will count? Did you love someone? Did you say thank you for your dad? Did you decided to go on a holiday instead of staying at home? Did you smile back?
If the answer is yes than you can be satisfied. You did your job, well. There is no greater duty than fulfill your life with the little precious moments. And if the answer is no, than, my Darling, we have one full year, every minutes of our next 365 day to create memories that will once fulfill your eyes with tears. One year later, we are going to be here again. The questions will be the same. And the answers…that’s up to you.
Story
21
IRISH DANCING FOR BEGINNERS
S
Written by: Fanni Erdei
unday, 7:17 a. m. Random hotel, theatre or community center on the outskirts of a big city somewhere in Europe. More and more people enter the dimly lit building, carrying small luggage and strangely shaped black bags. The excitement is easy to feel upon their entry, and so is the extremely huge amount of hair spray in the air. Distant tapping is heard as we are approaching to the changing rooms. Inside the building, a table is being set up by an elderly couple and groups of 2 or 3 are walking past them determinedly. In the changing rooms, girls are doing their make-up and long, curly wigs are waiting patiently in their carriers on the table to be put on the girls’ heads. Gorgeous, colorful dresses are hung everywhere in the room, girls are gluing long white pairs of socks to their legs. This is how a normal competition day starts in the world of competitive Irish step dancing.
When a conversation comes to Irish dancing, the most common thing people do is trying to imitate the dance steps in the most silly way and ask: ‚So, this is what you do?’. Well, as competitive Irish dancers we can do much more than that. Most people have heard of Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance and Feet of Flames or perhaps Riverdance but have never thought that there is a huge,
22
Dance&sport
competitive world behind the shows that include hundred thousands of dancers around the world. And that’s alright. Here in Hungary, Irish dancing is definitely not a common thing to do. For most Hungarians it is very distant and it is hard for them to believe that there may be people in their surroundings who practice it. Now let’s take a look at how it all started!
There are only a limited number of sources that talk about the early history of Irish dance but evidence shows that there were Druids among the first practitioners, who danced religious rituals honoring the Sun and the oak trees. Traces of their circular dances can still be found in today’s ring dances. Early Irish dance shows constant shifting of the population, meaning that Irish dance was influenced by many different types of dances from the continent, such as quadrille dances. Quadrille dances are performed by 4 couples dancing in a rectangular formation. Until the 18th century Irish dance was performed in ball rooms of castles and were even taken to England by English invaders. During the 18th century the so called „Dancing Master” appeared who wandered from village to village, teaching the peasants Irish dancing. You can perform in a group or as a solo dancer in today’s Irish dancing stages. There are 30 official group dances - or céilí - that are standardized and danced at competitions, performed by 4, 8 or 16 dancers. Other nonstandardized céilí dances are less former and are danced in pubs or bars. Solo dances are the ones that are most commonly danced at competitions and the ones that are primarily performed in the shows. They are divided into two major categories: hard shoe and soft shoe dances. Hard shoe dances are the jig and hornpipe and they give the well-known tapping sound of Irish dancing. Soft shoe dances are called reel, slip jig and single jig the movements of which are lighter, more balletic. The steps of these dances vary from school to school and from level to level. However, there are the so called traditional set dances - St. Patrick’s Day, Blackbird, King of the Fairies -, the steps of which are the very same for every dancer in the world.
Michael Flatley had had a show in Budapest. Hundreds of people started showing interest towards Irish dancing and – so that customer demand will be satisfied - a whole bunch of dance schools opened, attempting to teach the Hungarian population how to Irish dance. Today there are several competitions organized all over the world, including the World Championships, organized annually. Competitions - or feises, as they are officially called in Irish - are open to dancers of all ages and all levels. All competitors start in the beginner’s category and if they win their dances, they may advance to primary, intermediate and open levels. In every category there are 4-6 different dances that vary in level of difficulty. Dancers are divided into age groups and are evaluated by 3 adjudicators, who take turns in judging the different levels and different age groups therefore every dancer has the chance to perform in front of all adjudicators. Being a competitive Irish dancer in Hungary, or in Mainland Europe has its difficulties. And no, the difficulties do not rise from the fact that Irish dancing is an extremely difficult and demanding type of dance. With the right amount of invested time and effort, dedication and practice, that difficulty
In Hungary Irish dancing has become very popular in the beginning of the 2000s, after
Dance&sport
23
may be overcome. The biggest threat to the competitive carrier of an Irish dancer is money. More precisely, the lack of money. As well as all sports, Irish dancing requires significant amount of financial sacrifices. If you were not born to that part of the world - meaning the Anglo-Saxon countries: USA, GBR, Ireland or Australia - where feises are held practically every weekend and in locations that are easily approachable for all dancers, you will have some issues. If you want to compete, you have to travel to another country every single time. The only exception is when your school is the feis organizer, but that is the case only once a year. Once your feis calendar is all planned out, it is time to think about the costume. The price of costumes can range from €100 to € 800 or more. The more glitter it has, the more glamorous it is, the better. Compared to that, the cost of the other essentials, such as light and heavy shoes, knee-length white socks, curly wigs, bobby pins or make up, is insignificant. This is the point where you feel the urge to watch a little Irish dancing, here is a list of must see shows for you! Riverdance was the first Irish dance show in the world but
24
Dance&sport
it does not feature Irish dancing exclusively. Riverdance takes us on a journey through the history of the Irish, showing us how they had left their homeland and started over in the New World. Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance debuted in 1996 and is probably the most well-known show in the world. It tells the story of Good and Evil, teaching the ultimate lesson: the Good always wins. His second show, Feet of Flames is basically an extended, more spectacular version of the Lord of the Dance. Both performances are filled with wonderful Irish music and breath-taking choreographies. Dancing on Dangerous Ground is not as famous as the previously mentioned shows but it is my personal favorite. It tells the tale of a tragic love triangle, a story taken from Irish mythology. Dancing on Dangerous Ground is a show unique of its kind, regarding music, dancing and storytelling. If you’ve watched all these shows but you’re still hungry for more, I suggest you keep an eye out for the touring group of Lord of the Dance, and you will be surprised when you realize that the two of the lead roles are performed by two Hungarian dancers.
Pun, why is it fun?
We can find small jokes, called puns everywhere during a day. Whether you want it or not.
F
or example, when you turn on the radio and try not to fall asleep again, at least one comes out from the mouth of the host of Morning Show. I’m sure. If we just log into facebook to check the most important updates when we are sitting on a bus on the way to the school or workplace, there is always a friend who thinks that sharing a pun is funny. There are also some groups on the web where you can find countless puns in a heap. If we open 9gag, the fast brain death is guaranteed. It is impossible to avoid them. And we haven’t even talked about our colleagues and friends who just cannot be helped telling these
kinds of jokes. And sometimes they are also on the billboards of the funny creatives. So the conclusion is that it’s impossible to get rid of puns. The only solution if we want to survive is to accept them and at least try to get on well with them. Pun, or paronomasia is a form play on words that suggests 2 or more meanings. The humorous effect comes from these multiple meanings or similar-sounding of the words. The first puns were found in the ancient Iraq (2500 BC). In Egypt and the Maya civilization
Written by: Renáta Ragány they were also used in their hieroglyphic writing and in China (ca.300 C) Shen Tao also used a word “shih” which has a meaning like ‘a king has power because of his position’. Later, puns became more common and were used to create humor, and sometimes large vocabulary was required to understand them. The first versions have been used by comedy writers like William Shakespeare or Oscar Wilde. So there were times, when understanding a pun meant a kind of education. Nowadays, these jokes became thinner, and using them not definitely shows the level of intelligence. There are also rude, tiring and forced ones, but in common a good pun can be funny. To prove that here are some examples, take them, they are free samples. Take a deep breath and prepare your face, face your destiny and relax your cheeks! (Take it easy, it’s not a PUNishment.) Did you hear about the guy whose whole left side was cut off? He’s all right now. Did you hear about the guy who got hit in the head with a can of soda? He was lucky it was a soft drink. I don’t trust these stairs because they’re always up to something. The one who invented the door knocker got a No-bell prize. People are choosing cremation over traditional burial. It shows that they are thinking out of the box.
Funny things
25
Written & photographed by: László Faragó
How it’s made...
B
udapest is one of the most beautiful city in Europe with several faces. This photo looks like being shot in autumn but actually I took it in the middle of December. Weather is not always snowy, so sometimes you have to be satisfied with this foggy, rainy sight even though it is already winter. This photo is a brilliant example of those that photographers would never show to anyone… as for the camera settings. We are humans, sometimes we make mistakes: this picture was accidentally shot in mode „Program” instead of „Manual”, which means that settings are usually not ideal. Fortunately computers (also cameras) are still not smarter than we… but in this case you wish they were. ISO rate is higher than optimal and shutter time is longer than it could be. Thank God, huge resolution in little size is usually able to hide those little mistakes that can appear on the screen, or even in print… grains and blurred details. Thanks a lot for high quality cameras!
26
Photography
Settings: Camera: Panasonic Lumix FZ38 Focal lenght: 59 mm Aperture: F/3.2 Shutter time: 1/30 s ISO: 250 Stativ used
Winter time is orange time! When you sit in your house on a cold afternoon it is better to grab an orange, and to… to make a fantastic shot! What do you need to make a picture like this? A black textile, a glass board (used as a mirror), and – of course – an orange. As it is a macro, you must definitely use a stativ. If you use a bridge camera use switch to macro mode and without zooming you take the picture. This is it! One more thing: don’t use built-in flash! It is better to use a simple lamp or a separate flash.
Camera: Panasonic Lumix FZ38, Focal lenght: 59 mm, Aperture: F/3.2, Shutter time: 1/30 s, ISO: 250, Stativ used
Settings: Camera: Panasonic Lumix FZ38 Focal lenght: 27 mm Aperture: F/5.6 Shutter time: 1/400 s ISO: 80
When you live next to a lake, it is obvious that sometimes you go for a walk on the shore, even if it is freaking cold out there. The first thing that you can see in winter, that the lake is already covered with ice. The second one is that local inhabitants were so creative that they have invented a new sport: throwing rocks on the ice. Well done! Let me take a (no, not a selfie)… a photo!
For more photos visit: www.facebook.com/SwedishBeastPhotography
Photography
27
Written by: Zsófia Tamásy
Don’t hurry, be happy - Slow movement Some days ago I was waiting in a line during my Christmas shopping when I realized the fact that we are always in such a big rush that we do not have time for anything and not even for each other.
E
verything began with Carlo Petrini. He started a kind of revolution - Slow movement - due to a McDonald’s opening in Rome in Piazza di Spagna. Carlo was against fast food restaurants, however it was in 1986, almost thirty years ago. A little bit later he created the “Slow Food” organization to show the right direction. Later on Slow Living, Slow Design, Slow Travel appeared to advocate a cultural life shift all over the world.
The only certain thing is that everything changes. The rate of change increases. If you want to close up you had better speed up. That is the message of today. It could be however useful to remind everyone that our basic needs never change. The need to be seen and appreciated! The need to belong somewhere. The need for nearness and care, and for a little love! This is given only slowly in human relations. In order to master changes, we have to recover slowness, reflection and togetherness. There we will find real renewal.
Once Honoré told: „It is a cultural revolution against the notion that faster is always better. The Slow philosophy is not about doing everything at a snail’s pace. It’s about seeking to do everything at the right speed. Savoring the hours and minutes rather than just counting them. Doing everything as well as possible, instead of as fast as possible. It’s about quality over quantity in everything from work to food to parenting.” A professor reveals that nowadays in order to stay up-to-date and be competitive we have to speed up our life what makes it stressful and rapid.
28
Life
In my opinion “faster is better” is not good in this case. We are in a rush all the time, we don’t pay attention the song of carol in the morning, we don’t intend to smell the justbaked apple pie because we prefer to buy something like this from McDonalds as it is already prepared and it is the faster and easier way. We put off shopping at the mall for Christmas and try to make the last minute buying even when we know handmade things are cheaper and we appreciate them more.
College for Advanced Studies
Renaissance gastronomy experience
Hi guys, you haven’t heard from us for quite a long time, am I right? Yes, it is true, but it is not because we were lost and doing nothing but just the opposite. The real reason is that we had a plenty of programs in the past few months, such as an eye-catching visit to the Le Meridien Budapest Hotel, another fascinating one to the Dreher Beer Factory, a challenging day with giving some presentations about up-to-date topics of the tourism and marketing industry, a special Santa-day with career counselling , or some additional programs like Business Brunches or specific presentations by professors in other schools or institutions. However, right now I want you to get a slight taste of our special gastronomic event, a real renaissance lunch from a more real renaissance kitchen. On 29th November there was an opportunity given by our school that we could take part in preparing a 6 course royal renaissance lunch with the leading of Gabriella Kohári in the amazing palace of King Matthias in Visegrád, in the original kitchen where the royal dishes were made in the 15-16th century. In the lights of the candles and the warmth –and smokeof the furnace we started the preparation of the ingredients: all kinds of meet, from fish, games till froglegs, and fruits, like forest fruit and quince with a great variety of extraordinary spices, like saffron, sage,
thyme or rosemary. The dishes were made according to the kitchen technics of the Matthias-period: cooked on embers in ceramic jugs or fried above the fire. Instead of modern dishwasher we used only hot water to clean the things. While the team was trying to work together in order to present the menu before the sunset, as a kind of relaxing brief overview about the history of the castle was presented for us by a knowledgeable guide of the palace. When finally at around 4.pm we successfully made all the courses, I can say that the welldeserved meal was really outstanding and delicious. It was an unforgettable experience to go back in time and cook such a way as people did during the Renaissance. After our belly was completely full, we left the palace and a few of us went to Szentendre, where we had an accommodation for the night. It was a good opportunty to chat a little bit and play some games, which could help us to get to know each other and spend a great evening together. I am looking forward to the future programs, and if you are interested in making your studies more exciting and colorful, feel free to join us. Krisztina Kovács
Gastronomy
29
SUDOKU
IMPRESSUM Official student newpaper of BBS CCCT Available at 500 copy with the support of BGF KVIK, HÖK and DJB. 9-11. Alkotmány street, 1054 Budapest E-mail: agyalap@gmail.com Facebook: facebook.com/agyalap.bgf Advertisement: agyalap.hirdetes@gmail.com Responsible for the publication: Dr. Julianna Farkas TEAM AGY-A-LAP EST.1990 Chief editor: Eperke Rácz Copy editor: Sarolta Prokopics, Márton Vizy Layout editor, creative : László Faragó Editorial team: Eszter Nóra Biczó, Éva Borbély, Fanni Erdei, Bogi Halasi, Nanett Kalapos, Viktor Lakatos, Anna Mohácsi, Renáta Ragány, Vivien Varga, Orsolya Szabó Guest authors: Kinga Kiss, College for Advanced Studies
30
Impressum