Erasmus experience in Budapest, Hungary

Why did you choose to go to Budapest, Hungary?

Erasmus asked me to do this after my 6 weeks living and working as an online arts journalist in Budapest and Szentendre the summer of 2011. You can get a fair amount of information about the underground and contemporary arts scene from my blog.

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How long is the scholarship? How much money do you receive to help you with living costs?

I was on a budget, not a scholarship. I went there as an arts journey to explore underground and above ground art happenings. I did. I loved every moment of it.

What is the student lifestyle like in Budapest?

Speaking as a trained observer, age 68 going on 19, while exploring Budapest's underground with my young university, left-wing friends, Budapest is a happening place for students, high energy, super fusion music by extraordinarily talented musicians. Art abounds. It's a sensuous, organic city full of beautiful young people having a very good time during a time of extreme fiscal austerity. Beware, if you do not smoke cigarettes now, if you live and study and play in Budapest for more than 2 months, you will become addicted. Smoking and eating fast food in the slow lane at McDonald's seems an in thing. I hate McDonald's, and there's one on almost every corner in central Budapest. But there are certain ruin cafés and other venues like Godor where there's a fair amount of permissiveness.

Would you recommend the city and the University of Budapest to other students?

I love Budapest and long to return. I made good friends there. These are real people with a complex history and a bountiful culture. Budapest is definitely a happening place not only for students but for old farts like me who think they are 19.

What is the food like?

Think it's a big city and you will find everything here. Goulash that is well prepared is a real treat and sticks to you for hours, beautiful gastronomic happening. I like the super cheap buffets of Hungarian food.

How did you find your accommodation?

A Hungarian friend suggested me to live in the 7th District, the old and current Jewish Quarter of the city. It was a great suggestion. I found a three-star hotel, Hotel Queen Mary, made a deal for a slightly reduced daily rate if I stayed 2 weeks. Includes all you can eat breakfast. Everyone's cool. English and German spoken. 23 rooms, old on the outside, totally new inside. I'm sure you can also rent rooms for a month for 100 Euros if you share an apartment with someone. If I had stayed longer, I would have done this as I am a pensioner and thus a mandatory budget traveler.

What are the accommodation prices like? What are prices like for other things in general?

My Hotel Queen Mary room with full and sumptuous breakfast ran 40 Euros cash a night, a little more if by credit card. I considered that excellent value. But you can share a nice room in an apartment for as little as 100 Euros a month in central Budapest.

Is the language easy to get to grips with? Are there language courses available at the University?

I found Hungarian a beautiful, rhythmic and lyrcial language, a kind of Mongolian French mix. But to learn it? Unless I decided to stay and work there, no. The Hungarian dictionary has twice the volume of words of an English language one because the Hungarian language is so precise, while in English we let context define meaning to a large extent. I would get a phrase book and some discs, learn some conversational greetings and phrases that are useful, but I spoke English while there and in the country with some older people, Russian. I speak Russian having studied it intensely at university. Most young people in Budapest speak some English. I am sure language courses abound in Budapest. In regards with hungarian, it depends on what you want to achieve and how much you want to spend, as on a private tutor, which I would suggest, a bi-lingual tutor and do a crash course in conversation Hungarian when you're out in the country and you get lost.

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What's the easiest or most economical way to travel to Budapest from your city?

I live in south Spain. My experience traveling to Hungary was total torture, although I take blame for most of it, except for the neo-fascists at Easy Jet Gatwick. When EJ says, "If your're late, we won't wait" please take them at their word down to the last second. In Budapest, public transport is cheap and plentiful.

Where would you recommend to go on a night out in Budapest?

I would go to Godor and then hit the ruin cafés for the real underground younger generation sex-set experience. Nothing quite like it.

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And for eating? Can you recommend some good restaurants in Budapest?

Eat cheap at Hungarian holes in the walls and street cafes. Ask around. Depends on your budget. I found a place with a bar in my neightborhood in Budapest that sold a glass of pretty good red wine for 100 forints (365 forint equals 1 Euro at the time). You could get buzzed on budget. I like the Hungarian food, although its reputations is that it's designed for hard men cutting wood in a winter forest.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

Museum of Fine Arts, Kunsthalle, the Budapest Municipal Gallery on the Buda side of the Danube, galleries, other places to long to list.

Is there any other advice that you could give to students going to Budapest in the future?

If you are taking anti-depressants and going there in the winter, see your doctor to make sure you can cope with long, dark, grey and cold winters. I grew up in Minnesota, but I live in south Spain. I hate winters. Enjoy.

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