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Dear Friend,

The end of summer reminded me of something that we all had to do when we were in school. In elementary school, we always got reading assignments for the summer, and when we came back in September, we had to submit a so-called olvasónapló (lit. reading diary) which was basically the notes we took on the book while reading – list of characters, plot, various other details. I recently came across one of these ‘reading diaries’ from my childhood years, and was suddenly taken back to those endless summers spent reading seemingly tedious, long and pointless books that, in the end, shaped and defined my thinking. I am very grateful to these writers. Now, as a grown-up, of course.

So we decided to devote an issue of the newsletter to books and reading. In the CEE section, the three members of the HELPERS management recommend a book each, all by writers from this region. The Helpers Index, as always, contains facts and figures related to our theme. And then, a dozen or so of us tell you about what books mean to us, and which books have made the greatest impact on our lives. In Kata’s Tips, you’ll find a good list of foreign-language bookshops and main libraries, and the Go and Do section gives you some ideas on where to go for culture, art and activism this fall. Our expat interviewees this month also come from the realm of education and literary pursuits.

Finally, in the Business End, we recount to you some of the results of our recently conducted Client Satisfaction Survey (thanks a million to all those who completed the questionnaire and gave us invaluable feedback!) and the measures we intend to take to incorporate your comments into our procedures.

Wishing you a fruitful, peaceful autumn,

Your friends at HELPERS

This month, the members of the HELPERS management recommend you their favorite writers and books from Eastern Europe. Enjoy!
Daniel’s recommendation:
Péter Esterházy (Hungary): Celestial Harmonies
A lyrical catalogue of the insurmountable debt sons owe their fathers, fathers their own and their country, and also of the debt history owes men, this book is not for the fainthearted or the easily put off. You might start and give up reading it a dozen times, only to find it unputdownable after a few dozen re-reads. Instead of imitating a carefully crafted symphony, the text – or rather, texts, since Esterházy enjoys borrowing as much as any postmodern novelist – is woven together like variations on a theme as eternal and intimate as any theme by Haydn (an Esterházy court musician for three decades) and as fleeting and impersonal as history, with hindsight, tends to seem. The excellent English translation was prepared by Judith Sollosy, whom we were honored to have as one of the speakers at the Exchange translation conference, organized jointly by the BCCH and Helpers in 2007. You can find the NYT review of the book here.
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Nenad’s recommendation:
Ivo Andrić (former Yugoslavia): The Bridge on the Drina
One of the best-known writers from former Yugoslavia is Ivo Andrić, a distinguished diplomat and novelist. He was born in Bosnia as a Croat, and died in Belgrade as Serbian. As a student, Andrić fought for independence and unity of the South Slavs,  and, after the creation of the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia), he served in important diplomatic posts. His best-known works are about Bosnia in Ottoman times: The Bridge on the Drina, Bosnian Chronicle, The Damned Yard Andrić was awarded the 1961 Nobel Prize for literature. Most of his books are translated to a number of world languages. They present a fascinating mixture of history, folklore, and fiction.

Barbara’s recommendation:
Witold Gombrowicz (Poland) – Ferdydurke
One of my favorites books of all time, a novel whose message I reinterpret once every few years. Ferdydurke is Gombrowicz’s only full-length novel, an intellectual exercise into what it means to be mature. Being ‘grown-up’ or ‘mature’ is a paradoxical concept – the immature are forced into absurd moulds by the self-declared mature – who in turn are typecast by society and politics. The ridiculous, symbolic measures the characters take to try and break these patterns will resonate with anyone who’s ever had to take a shot at be(com)ing an individual of sorts. Gombrowicz himself had his share of the grotesque. Just before the outbreak of WWII, he traveled (for what he thought would be a brief visit) to Argentina, where he got stuck and could only return to Europe (due first to the war, and later to poverty) in the mid-60s. He never lived in Poland again.

Number of libraries operating in Hungary in 1950: 10,489
Number of libraries operating in Hungary in 2004: 9,311
Factor by which there were more libraries in the 1960’s than in 2004: 2
Number of books held in Hungarian libraries in 1950: 3.2 million
Number of books held in Hungarian libraries in 2004: 158 million
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Number of library memberships held by Hungarians in 1950: 403,000
Number of library memberships held by Hungarians in 2004: 2.2 million
Percentage of Hungarians who have been to the library at least once in the last 12 months: 23.4

Amount of spare time (per day) an average Hungarian had in 1986 (min.): 232
Amount of spare time (per day) an average Hungarian had in 2000 (min.): 285
Percentage of this extra spare time that is spent watching TV: 100
Percentage of his/her spare time an average Hungarian spends watching TV: 80
Percentage of his/her spare time an average Hungarian spends reading: 10
Percentage of his/her spare time an average Hungarian spends oneverything else (going out, exercise, hobbies, meeting friends): 10

Percentage of people in Hungary reading daily papers every day: 44
Percentage of Hungarian teenage boys reading romantic novels: 6.3
Percentage of Hungarian teenage girls reading romantic novels: 28.7
Percentage of Hungarian teenage boys reading fantasy books: 80
Percentage of Hungarian teenage girls reading fantasy books: 66.7
Percentage of Hungarian university students reading daily papers and/or books for at least 1.5 hours every day: 67

Barbara Ürögdi – Head of Helpers Expat Services
Books are second in importance only to people. Some books have changed my thinking in immeasurable ways, either because they were so great, or because they came along at the right time. Such books (say, my Desert Island Top 5) are (in reverse temporal order) Lethem’s Fortress of Solitude, Ishiguro’s The Unconsoled, Ottlik’s School at the Frontier, Gombrowicz’s Ferdydurke, and Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita. My last unforgettable reading was Fortress of Solitude, reminding me that the roots and essence of what we became were already there in our childhood personalities, even though they went unnoticed (and seemed irrelevant) at the time. Books come and go, but these five I can definitely keep reading forever.

Dániel Bodonyi – Head of Helpers Language Services
Since the question is about the impact, not just the enjoyment, I'd mention the following three books: Epictetus's stoical Discourses, Arthur Schlesinger's biography of RFK - a story of what might have been -- and Péter Esterházy's Celestial Harmonies. I've read and re-read each of these at least a dozen times, and will continue to do so as long as their bindings hold the pages together.



Nenad Ignjatović – Sales and Marketing Director
One of my favorite books is Nick Hornby's High Fidelity: it's original, lighthearted and at the same time serious, funny (I laughed out loud a bunch of times when reading it), gives you an insight into man/woman relationships, tackles the "meaning of life", AND contains numerous pop culture references!






Orsi Gyulai – Translation Project Manager
For me, there is no such thing as the book or the author of my life. But every now and then there is a text I can’t help thinking of. I’m longing for the next possible occasion to get immersed into it. It becomes part of my life for a while, penetrates my mind, keeping my thoughts and feelings busy. Attila Bartis and Péter Nádas were such authors for me. Just a few days ago, it was Léda Forgó with her amazing novel “Der Körper meines Bruders” (the book, set in the Hungary of the 1950s and 1960s, was written in German by a Hungarian author!). It offers an authentic and subtle analysis of the relationships and emotional attachments of a girl, who throughout her life is accompanied by the continuous lack of her brother.

Kata Gál – Key Account Manager
My favorite writers are Paolo Coelho and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Coelho writes perfect “light” books for summertime reading. Nowadays, I read books by Ferenc Cseresnyés, who wrote several books about immigration, laws and procedures - his books always wake me up on the metro on my way to the office. I also really like the Hungarian poet Endre Ady. I used to read his poems a lot when I was in secondary school.



Noémi László – Account Manager
I cannot pick a favorite book or author but list some that were important in certain phases of my life. J. D. Salinger and Gabriel García Márquez influenced my teenage life the most, and a couple of years ago I came to like Jonathan Safran Foer based on his novel Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. I have recently read some books by Haruki Murakami, and they are quite impressive, too. You can get carried away in a minute by reading Murakami, perfect novels to unwind after a long day.


Ádám Bartos - Translator
It would have to be Joseph Heller, I suppose. I first read Catch-22 when I was 8, and was immediately hooked. I kept re-reading it every couple of years (in Hungarian) for the next 10 years or so, when I switched to the English version. His second novel, Something Happened, also had a great effect on me, although not necessarily a positive one.




Marianna Tóth - Translator
This question is not only difficult, but almost impossible to answer - why single out one book?
I'll cut the Gordian knot by picking the one I am (re)reading right now, which happens to be a very important book in my life. This is Robert M. Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. What is it like? Well, a very vivid and sensitive description of a motorcycle journey through the United States interspersed with a captivating philosophical inquiry into what quality really is and how the chasm between 'classical' (rational) and 'romantic' understanding could be bridged. If you love to stop and marvel at things around you, to slow down, to dig deep and be strongly affected by sensations: this is a book for you to pick up.


Balázs Wirth – Misko Foundation
Although it is not easy to pick one from among my favorite authors, the one with the greatest impact is without doubt Robert M. Pirsig and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Pirsig helped me understand why it is that, although I recognize the genius of the likes of Samuel Beckett or Thomas Mann, I am thoroughly unable to enjoy their works. Apparently I’m more attracted to the art of lunatics.






Csilla Surányi – Office Assistant
…a strange approach…
…books like to seize upon us, to have power on us. Whenever it happens, we say ‘it was very impressive and had a great impact on me’ or ‘it captured my attention until the end’. But we never realize that the books themselves are in search of us and desire to imprison our mind. I reckon that all stages of human life are in need of answers to their crucial questions, and whenever a book finds its reader and releases its message, a miracle happens.
For me, a kind of remedy came with H. G. Wells’s Magic Shop when I was caught up in mundane everyday problems. The stories enchanted me into their supreme universe, helping me get lost between magic and reality…and I really needed that glamour. The same thing happened when Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist found me, which really had a lot to tell me about dreams, ‘personal Myth’, saying that everything is possible as long as you really want it to happen.

Réka Szakszon - Helper
Having read lots of books in my life, it is hard to choose my favorite but if we are talking about the novel that has had the greatest impact on me, it definitely has to be Makra from Kertész Ákos, a contemporary Hungarian author. The book is about the life of a man who always wanted to be like others but was too special to live the life of average people, so his intentions resulted in a tragedy. Apart from great style and story, Makra has lots of philosophical content. As it was a compulsory reading assignment at school, I also saw the film based on the book, had some great conversations about it with my friends, and was even able to meet the writer, so it was like a small part of my life for a short while. Among many other things, this novel made me realize that chasing dreams and having a single, set-in-stone “goal in life” can sometimes lead to really bad decisions.




Zep – Company Bulldog
Zep does not read, and that’s a good thing. The kinds of dogs that one encounters in literature have nothing to offer him in the ways of wisdom. Poor Lassie, traveling thousands of miles just to get back home? Zep would just make some new friends in a second and never look back! And then there’s Toto, making that tedious long journey to the Wizard of Oz – and being the only one who gets nothing in return? Zep would certainly stay home and take a nap instead. The only literary canine that Zep has any sympathy for is Frakk, the legendary vizsla from the Hungarian children’s book and cartoon series who eats whatever he can get his paws on, makes cats’ lives miserable, and loves nothing more than football!

Need a nice, relaxing read? Here is a list of bookstores where you will find books and magazines in English and other non-Hungarian languages:

Treehugger Dan’s (2 locations)
Address 1: 6th district, Csengery u. 48 (first door down on the corner of Andrassy)
Phone number: 322 0774
Open: Monday-Friday 10am-7pm; Saturday 10am-5pm
Address 2: 6th district, Lázár u. 16. (at the back end of the Opera House)
Phone number: 269 3843
Open: Monday-Friday 9:30am-6:30pm; Saturday/Sunday 10am-4pm
Website: www.treehugger.hu
E-mail: info@treehugger.hu
Second-hand English paperbacks and organic coffee.
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Bestsellers
Address: 5th district, Október 6 utca 11.
Phone number: 312 1295
Website: www.bestsellers.hu
E-mail: bookshop@bestsellers.hu
Open: Monday-Friday 10am-6.30pm, Saturday 10am-6pm
Wide range of English language books, magazines, guidebooks and periodicals.

CEU Bookshop
Address: 5th district, Nádor u. 9
Phone number: 327 3096
Website: www.ceu.hu
E-mail: bookshop@ceu.hu
Open: Monday-Friday 9am-6pm, Saturday 10am-4pm
Academic and professional books covering history, IT, media studies and business. Book ordering service.

Írók Boltja
Address: 6th district, Andrássy út 45.
Phone number: 322 1645 and 342 4336
Website: www.irokboltja.hu
E-mail: irokboltja@axelero.hu
Open: Monday-Friday 10am-6pm, Saturday 10am-1pm
Hungarian translations of US, UK and European authors, plus thousands of interesting home-grown titles.


Main libraries:

Szabó Ervin
http://www.fszek.hu/index.nfo?tPath=/english
Address: 1088 Szabó Ervin tér 1. (close to Kálvin tér)
Open: Monday-Friday 10am-8pm, Saturday 10am-4pm
They have a good selection of English books, courtesy of the British Council’s ex-library.

Széchényi Könyvtár
http://www.oszk.hu/index_en.htm
Address: 1827 Budapest, Budavári Palota "F" building (in the castle area)
Central phone number: 224 3700
Open: Tuesday-Saturday 10am-8pm
National library; books cannot be checked out but you’ll find every book ever published in Hungary.

We are moving!
New HELPERS office from September 1st

In a couple of days’ time, we are moving to a new office just one block away from where we are located at the moment. From the 1st September, we are more than happy to assist you at our new address:
1092 Budapest, Ráday utca 8. Floor 1, Apt. 5.
Our phone numbers will remain the same. Looking forward to seeing you!


Welcoming Csilla to the HELPERS team

Csilla Surányi, our new office assistant, started working at the HELPERS office at the beginning of August. She is in charge of administration, contracting and invoicing, ensuring that we all have a solid, professional back office to help us in our daily work. Before joining our team, Csilla worked for a major international law firm as legal assistant. You can reach her at the following address: csilla@helpers.hu.

In this issue, our interviewees talked about literature and the cultural scene in Hungary. We asked Peter Radoja about his career with Britannica International School and our second interviewee, "Treehugger" Daniel Swartz told us about his experience running a bookshop.
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Peter, you are the head of Britannica International School in Budapest. How did you end up in this position? What did you do before?
I headed the British International School in Bratislava for 10 years. Later, I worked internationally in the Far-East and the Middle East. Finally, the new owner of Britannica approached me to see if I was interested in taking on this role here.
In what ways does Britannica differ from ordinary elementary and secondary schools?
The most obvious difference is the language since the first language is English here. The second would be the make-up of the student body. There is a significant number of Hungarians here, probably a third of the students are Hungarian but the rest of the students are from the international community. The third difference is the curriculum. It is based upon the English curriculum, which is modified to suit the local needs.  In the final  4 years (ages 14 to 18), we have examinations from England, called the International General Certificate of Secondary Education and the Advanced Level Certificate from the University of Cambridge. These qualifications are recognized all over the world and gain students entry into leading universities.
How do you find the cultural scene in Hungary in general?
Budapest is an incredibly cultural city.  What is offered in Bratislava or my home city in England is only fraction of what is available here, so I have been overwhelmed by the possibilities.
What book would you say had the greatest impact on your thinking?
I would mention Kafka, also George Orwell. My father was from Yugoslavia, he fought against the Communist Regime in the Second World War, so he was not able to return to his country. Therefore, I am interested in books written in the 20th century that describe the situation that existed in Eastern Europe or the plight of the individual against the system.


Treehugger Dan, where are you from originally? When did you come to settle down in Budapest?
I’m from Massachusetts, in the US. I went to university in Maine and I came here in August of 1990, so this week is my 19th anniversary.
You own a second hand bookstore and a Fair Trade café in downtown Budapest.
I’ve got two bookshops now and I hope to open a third one in September. There is one in Csengery Street, another one is right behind the Opera in Lázár Street, and there is going to be a third one in Sütő Street. It will specialize in foreign language non-English books: German, Italian, Spanish, French, Scandinavian languages. And yes, I sell organic coffee, tea and hot chocolate too. I thought I should find something to invest in and I decided to open a bookshop. But I thought, it is not enough to sell books, people need to stand on more than one leg, so shouldn’t I sell organic coffee, and why not Fair Trade stuff?
What kinds of customers visit your shop?
It is a mixture: expats, backpackers, Hungarians. Hungarians only want to read Agatha Christie and Jane Austin [in English]. The foreigners have a much wider range of books they are looking for. Even between the two shops the market is completely different, even though they are 7 minutes away from each other. Different types of people visit the two shops.
Do you have a favorite writer, maybe a Hungarian one?
I have a lot of favorite writers in English. Well, just off the top of my head… I like Barbara Kingsolver, Joanne Harris, Carl Hiassen, Ben Elton, Louis de Bernieres, Kurt Vonnegut and Terry Pratchett. Oh, the list is too long… The first Hungarian book that I’d read was Tóték from Örkény and I loved that. I also saw that as a play at the Kőszeg open theatre. It’s hard because, you know, Hungarian writers are so depressing except for Örkény. I’d rather not read depressing novels but I’m sure there are other good writers as well.
Are you familiar with any other forms of Hungarian art?
I’m a Hungarian folk dancer. I’ve been doing that for 17 years or maybe longer. Now after lots of moving in and out I am dancing Moldvai at Gödör.
How do you find the cultural scene in Hungary in general?
Very accessible! I didn’t live very far from Boston, nor from Providence, which are quite big cities. But back then, 25 years ago or more, you’d have to pay 80 dollars to watch Nutcracker way up somewhere where you couldn’t see anything as a kid. Here, I can pay like 10 euro for a good seat for any musical, any play, sometimes even less than that. The last thing I saw was Platonov at Örkény Színház, that play was excellent. The music scene is very good as well: rock and jazz and blues, live music all the time. The beer gardens, the romkerts [outdoor bars located on empty lots in the center]... All of these are great.
What book would you say had the greatest impact on your thinking?
I think Bruce Chatwin’s Songlines changed my way of thinking a lot. And Daniel Quinn’s Ishmael and The Story of B.
Did you have a favorite book as a child?
I started reading at a really early age. My favorite book as a child was The Velveteen Rabbit, a children's novel written by Margery Williams. (It chronicles the story of a stuffed rabbit and his quest to become real through the love of his owner.) But it was when I was very young, later I liked reading books like The Lord of the Rings and I was a big sci-fi/fantasy fan.

Robert Capa exhibition

Get to know the world famous Hungarian photographer’s life through his pictures. There is a free shuttle bus to the Ludwig Museum from Deák Ferenc tér, or you can just take tram number 2 from the center (it’s a lovely ride along the Danube). The museum offers guided tours in English every day at 11 am.
 
Location: Ludwig Museum – Museum of Contemporary Art (Palace of Arts), 1095 Budapest, Komor Marcell u. 1.
Date: until October 11, 2009.
Link: http://www.ludwigmuseum.hu/site.php?inc=kiallitas&kiallitasId=476&menuId=44
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Trafó House of Contemporary Arts

This haven for cutting-edge dance, theater, art and literature features a number of shows this season that are staged in English – or are based on the universal language of music, dance and visual art. Here is a sampling of what’s on offer in the near future:

The Akram Khan Company (UK) – contemporary dance (September 16 and 17)
http://www.trafo.hu/programs/1688

The Tiger Lillies (UK) – grotesque cabaret and concert (September 25 and 26)
http://www.trafo.hu/programs/1660

Yesterday’s Man (Lebanon) – theater (October 5 and 6)
http://www.trafo.hu/programs/1734

Visit www.trafo.hu for more – website available in English. They have videos of most performers, so you can check to see what you’re in for beforehand. Most of their shows are outstanding, however, and there is a nice bar and café in-house for before and after!



“Week of Education” exhibition at the Budapest EXPO

Just one of the trade fairs and exhibitions happening at the Budapest Expo from September 9th to 13th – since the exhibition halls are on the same grounds, you can also check out the furniture and interior design show, the Day of Hungarian Music, or the Inventors’ Fair while you’re there.

Location: Building “B” at HUNGEXPO Budapesti Vásárközpont, 1101 Budapest Albertirsai út 10.
Date: September 9-13, 2009
Link: http://www.bnv.hu/?_nyelv_=en



Critical Mass

September is coming soon and it means that no one can miss out on the next Critical Mass bike demonstration, when tens of thousands of bikers take to the streets of downtown Budapest, making it safe and easy for everyone to try biking in the city. Check the website for the meeting point and the route for this event.

Location: downtown Budapest
Date: September 22, 2009
Link: http://criticalmass.hu/english

Britannica International School of Budapest
www.britannicaschool.hu

Treehugger Dan’s Bookstore
www.treehugger.hu



Add a dash of magic to your child's room
www.juditmesefal.fw.hu