Hello and welcome to the newly reformatted what-what dot com!  As you can see I have enlisted the support of a dedicated weblogging software application in order to facilitate posting and comments.  The current design and layout is temporary, as I am still in the middle of figuring out how to edit php code and stuff.

So, please take your time and enjoy the site.  Most of the old content including the archives, hyperlinks and contact information can be accessed via the links at left.  The photogalleries area can be found here or via the link at left. Clicking on a category will organize all the posts filed under that category so you don’t have to look through them all. At present you can make a comment by clicking on the “Comments?” link at the top right of every post. Also be sure to look for “(more . . . )” tags as I truncate longer posts so they don’t take up so much space.

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Cheers and happy viewing!

-D

After four months of living in Budapest, during only one of which did I have a valid transportation pass, I finally got busted on the tram to a rally at parliament protesting the entrance of GMO foods into Hungarian markets.  In truth, it wasn’t all that bad- the guy was pretty tired but surprisingly he spoke a little English.  I just said “I don’t understand” and looked real sorry, while E had to take the interrogation.  He wanted 5000 forint on the spot, a thousand more than we were technically obligated to pay.  I kept up my blank faced look as long as possible and then handed over 2000, which he pocketed and then invited us quite politely back on the tram to ride on to our destination. 

The way I have it figured, I’m still way ahead on transportation costs.  Here’s the breakdown:  Single tickets cost 170 forint, transfers 270, and monthly passes cost 6250 7000.  Until the magazine job dried up, it made economic sense to have a pass as I was bouncing all over the city.  But if my only real obligation is to go to the kindergarten once a week, costing a hypothetical round trip total of 880, plus a few tram rides here and there, I definitely don’t spend enough on transportation to make it worth buying a pass.  Furthermore, buying single tickets isn’t worth it because one is checked so infrequently.

Now, I’m sure I’m just the apple of my parents eyes right now for being so economically thrifty and resourceful, but it doesn’t stop there.

The tram and bus system is poorly policed, relying on surprise spot checks to see who’s got a pass and who hasn’t, or in the case of the subway, conductors generally stand at the top of the escalators, necessitating the purchase of a ticket (though I’ve shown them a used one and been fine, as they barely glance at it).  If I’ve now been busted once in four months, costing an average of 1000 forint (2000 for two people), then I can still get busted another 3-6 times in the next 28 days before it’s worth it to buy a pass or tickets for every ride.  I think that the even more important thing is that not only am I bringing my cultural background as an economic imperialist to this country, I am training the system to make more sense from a capitalist sense.  As Will Hunting might say, “my boy’s wicked smaht”.

Cabbage stew blues.

So for the first time in my life, I was laid off.  Upon return to the offices of Print-X Budvar (the publishing company for Business Hungary), I was informed that due to budget cutbacks, salaries have been cut across the board of 12 magazines, three heads have already rolled, and they don’t think they’re going to have a need for an intern anymore.  Further explanation revealed that not only was the magazine losing money (not surprising), but AmCham was so incensed with the attitude of one photographer (not me, who had a few nibbles at one of the receptions and upon confrontation refused to “put down the plate, sir”) and the “image” of another (me, probably parted my hair on the wrong side), that they decided to hold my photo editor directly responsible for all future shoots.  Technically, I am still in their rolodex for freelance photography and writing, but I doubt I’ll get a call anytime soon.  Hey, these things happen.  I’d be lying to say I’m broken up about the whole affair, and at least my bosses were apologetic.  Now I just gotta collect that last paycheck, which was due a month ago.  Whatever.

In better news, the kindergarten is not laying me off, and has actually offered to pay me more money to design their website.  Although I won’t be getting anywhere near the rates that “professionals” can demand, this gig carries the benefit of being a solid design credit that will hopefully land me other freelance deals.  I am considering applying for a job at a big design firm as well, but am a bit conflicted as they have done work for some big multinationals, including the evil arches and British-American Tobacco.  Lastly, I’m doing a private english lesson once a week and could probably pick up a few more without much trouble.  That’s the news for now folks.

From left: the author, Geology, Greg Nice, Sadat-X

Saw the above hip-hoppers downstairs at Trafo on a Wednesday and nearly died of suffocation it was so packed.  I hate to say it, but I’m starting to feel like I’m too old for the pushing and shoving.  I can’t go to a party unless I know it’s going to be perfect- hot beats, respectful crowd, cheap drinks, no entry BS, good sound quality and multiple rooms for partying and chilling.  However, one thing I love about seeing shows in a foreign country is that the artists are almost always down to talk with the crowd and sign autographs and stuff.  I’ve seen artists in Japan and Hungary (that would normally be mobbed senseless in the states or UK) just having a drink and chatting after the show ends.  That’s how it should be; these people aren’t aliens.  Anyways, other than the negative space available for dancing, we had a good time.  Puszi to Zsuzsa for the pic.

Saw this cute little groupie, so I took her home.  What what!

Rested and relaxed I return to Hungary.  That makes it almost 4 months since I arrived full of tentative expectations and not a small amount of anxiety about this “trial” period.  The question of whether or not things have improved relationship wise is I think pretty obvious -I came back after all- but the secondary issue, “can I live”, is now becoming more apparent.  I’m certainly not taking Budapest by storm, as I once envisioned I would in Japan, but that’s not to say I haven’t been pretty lucky thus far.  Anyway, the trial period is over.  Here’s where the real journey starts.

(more…)

Home for the holidays
can’t stop from calling back to yesterdays
broke out force of habit
drove the roads dag nabbit.

Define mind games
like putting pictures in the picture frames
welcome matte black or silver flash
no matter depth of field he’s still behind the glass.

Bounce around the perimeter
see streets and trees similar
messy like a toy hand
and hit once like a boy band.

Your old homies houses
around town surroundless
now look like dungeons
built for dangerous mouses.

Spent about an hour gettin through it
get home to know to do it
don’t check the e-mail
throw your mind off the whole trail.

It’s not a letter from the mailman
in fact she known to hold a frail hand
home is where the heart go
stay steady like a snail stands.

Spent two weeks in the US for the break.  Had Christmas (again), hung with fam, rolled with the homies, raged at the homestead, saw sister get married, hugged my grandparents, went snowboarding, stayed out late, ate smoked salmon and wedding cake (exclusively), saw friends, went skateboarding, made smiles. 

 Lewis

Congratulations, Cynthia and Josh!

May 2006 be the year of peace, cookies and new teeth.

What-what.com founder, the Def Selector.