Getting to a birthday party without a present would not be very polite in many European countries. In Hungary, it`s the raising of the glasses that counts more than anything else. Presents are preferably liquid and alcoholic, but they may also they represent something home-made; edible or artistic. Original post by Bruno

Asking Hungarians about who or what inspires them is quite a challenging project. It may well be a question that is impossible for them to answer, especially for those Hungarians who have no connections with anybody outside Hungary, do not speak foreign languages, and live outside the major cities. They may simply be lacking a… » read more

I am about to leave for two weeks in China and may not blog frequently. I will make up for it on my return on 27 April, beginning with Tibet. Original post by crossick

I am happy and proud to announce that I have found the one thing that unites Hungarians in a positive way. Something that enlightens their hearts and gives them a sense of belonging. It`s called `Túró Rudi` and its uniting power reaches well beyond what it physically represents: a chocolate bar filled with cottage cheese,… » read more

As I wrote in earlier articles, Hungarians are not very happy about the situation their country is in. The economy is declining, politicians are unable to change the tide and the people have little hope for improvement. All of that is leading toward`s today`s question: what changes does Hungary need? Original post by Bruno

Vital Report on Global Health – VRGH 2008 – You are invited to join the Initiative for Vital Report on Global Health, VRGH, which was launched at the World Health Day, April 8th, in the European Parliament, in Brussels (cf. pictures on this website) The Initiative is to conduct a systemic survey of global health… » read more

Since the integration in the European Union, Hungarians have not flooded Western Europe in the way the Poles and the Romanians have. As I found out during previous day, the delayed interest in foreign languages forms an important barrier. Added to that, Hungarians seem to be very fond of their own country and region. Moving… » read more

Theoretical knowledge is important in Hungary and the education system is organised accordingly. Facts are highly valued, history is more popular than in most other European countries and so is literature. What else is there to know about the time Hungarians spend preparing for professional life? Original post by Bruno

Multilingualism is a major topic on the European agenda. In general, it is an asset that is reserved for smaller countries, with `odd` languages. Large countries like the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy and France can afford the arrogance of not caring about foreign languages. Smaller countries cannot. Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Malta, Cyprus and all of… » read more

As I learnt yesterday, enjoying is not something that comes natural to Hungarians. Smiling without an obvious reason risks to be seen as something suspect, while openly displaying happiness is likely to cause confusion. Few events can spark a feeling of community and belonging. Still, I refuse to believe that all Hungarians are depressed all… » read more

I already got to meet some Hungarians in Romania, but since my arrival in Debrecen yesterday ? it`s now Hungary for real. A country of 10 million people that, just like its neighbours, has been overrun by foreign invaders several times during its history. Celts, Romans, Ottomans, Habsburgs, Austrians and most recently, Soviets. Here`s a… » read more

Très chers blogueurs, Nous tenons aujourd’hui à vous faire part d’une avancée notable dans le développement de Blogactiv, à savoir la création de notre Netvibes Universe. Le principal avantage est de cet outil Web 2.0 est d’avoir un synopsis dynamique et interactif à la fois de Blogactiv et d’EurActiv. Ci-dessous un copie d’écran de notre… » read more

A new peer-reviewed study has just been published on the possible link between the onset of Parkinson’s disease and the use of pesticides during one’s lifetime. Not surprisingly, the story has been picked up by the press globally and if you only have time to read the headlines then it’s a foregone conclusion that pesticides… » read more

A new peer-reviewed study has just been published on the possible link between the onset of Parkinson’s disease and the use of pesticides during one’s lifetime. Not surprisingly, the story has been picked up by the press globally and if you only have time to read the headlines then it’s a foregone conclusion that pesticides… » read more

Another month gone by! It`s number 8 and there will be four more to go. I think that`s still quite a lot but if I look at how quickly the previous ones have gone by, it seems like the whole adventure will be over soon. Anyway, many people have been asking me about what kind… » read more