Eh, not really. Budapest hasn’t changed as much as I’d expected. And I’m very glad.
Just came from a rehearsal. Words cannot describe how good it is to hear live instruments playing what you’ve only heard in your head or via MIDI playback. A few tempo disputes, which we’ll surely settle over a few rounds of p�linka later on. Otherwise, hooray!
I’m sitting in an airless, smokey flourescent-lit internet caf�. Must go now. Must ….. breathe…. air…..
UPDATE: Here is said internet cafe. The the right of it is Budapest’s first Burger King, which opened when I lived here around 1991. It was said to be the largest Burger King in the world at the time. Shrug. It had wonderfully tacky decor. I must go and see if they’ve toned it down.
3 Responses to “Culture shock”
have fun in hungary! im jealous! (of both being in europe and of having real musicians play your music.) Take lots of pictures…
I second what M. says about the jealousy, with this addition: pálinka. The one thing about Budapest I miss more than the cake is the local alcohol, even though I probably can’t drink it any more.
But I can see by the picture there’s at least one shockingly different thing about Bp. from my memories of the late 80’s: the cars are better. They’re shiny. Some of them may actually have catalytic convertors! Wow!
Michael, best wishes with your premiere! I’m jealous, too (three), of your return stay there! I’ll be transiting through Budapest in late December and in January, but I’m not sure how much time I’ll actually have to spend there. Enjoy it for us all! (I remember the day after last Christmas, trying in a rainstorm to get from the National Museum up to Buda, and not making it! I can handle the metro, but not the tramways!)
