Culture: Meeting with Andras Tarnoc

It was very pleasant for us to meet Tarnoc Andras (in Hungary family names are put first) again. Andras is the Director of International Programs, and teaches in the American Studies department, which uses English as the language of instruction. He came to our apartment, bearing the gifts of inviting tourist brochures and maps from the region, and a bells and whistles cell (or mobile, as they say here) phone for us to use during this time.

Of all common technologies, I must say that cell phones are my least favorite. I've made do with a "Target" phone, just buying minutes when required to keep the phone alive, and seldom using the minutes I have. The phone I had was not going to work over here, so I did finally use up most of the minutes in our December travels, and plan to get a "real phone" when we get back to the States. That is, if I don't totally go nuts trying to use this one. What's the problem? All the screen controls are in Hungarian, as is the manual! Yes, I know I need to go back to the T-Mobile store and get the language changed. But, for the weekend, it has been an interesting exercise--downloading the correct model manual in pdf from the Internet, comparing it section by section with the printed manual in Hungarian, simultaneously looking at the screen and seeking the VERY LONG WORDS that comprise the commands. I did get some contacts in there (only accidentally dialing Dr. Komenczi once on the weekend in the process), I did actually answer the phone once when Andras called, but I've missed a couple of calls and darned if I can figure out how to listen to the messages! Tomorrow--T-MOBILE and take a number from the machine on the wall to wait your turn in the queue!

Following a nice walking tour from our apartment to the centrum, Andras, Jack and I had a typical Hungarian lunch (huge) at the HBH, a wonderful restaurant-sorozo (beer) place, that I remember from last trip. I was forwarned, and ordered somewhat carefully, with oxtail soup (great), cucumber salad, and pike (fish) with pesto. Jack had the classic bean and ham (sometimes sausage) soup that's so wonderful--nice big dollop of sour cream, followed by a veal and noodle dish with paprikash sauce. Way too much for Jack! Andras assured us that it was OK to take it home for supper--Jack did ask because that's definitely viewed in different ways in different cultures. Side dishes? Potatoes, potatoes...nem. Bread...bread...nem. Dessert? Nem. One of these days I may eat a small enough meal to say "igen" for dessert, but that's not in sight yet!

We'll meet Andras again next week to make plans about what we can do within the American Studies area--obviously Jack has a lot to offer as a sociologist. It was interesting to see how much we talked about the change in the U.S. administration--good for American Studies as Andras sees it, and hopefully, good for us, too.