Lived mainly in Buda and continued my life long interest in Folk Music while here. I moved to the small picturesque village of Csobanka about 10 years ago. Worked in London as electrical - mechanical manager on underground station refurbishment for two years. The work was very interesting but had enough of London and returned to Hungary.

Playing music with Hungarian band called Irmag who play authentic Scottish/Irish folk music. fiddle,guitars,bazuki,bohdran,whistle vocals
Playing festivals (Vienna, Balaton , Solnok etc )over summer period and some bookings in city. We run an open session in Fotocella 17 Raday ut every Tuesday for like-minded people and musicians. Recorded 2 CD's while in Hungary and played Vienna / Bucharest.

1. When did you arrive in Hungary and what brought you here?
I arrived in 1990 to bring my daughter to the Peto Institute.

2. Have you ever been an expatriate elsewhere?
Yes Tenerife and London (but that might not count)

3. What surprised you most about Hungary?
In the early days how grey it all was and a language that was beyond my comprehension and remains so.
Buying goods from the supermarket with no pretty pictures,so no idea what I bought. Being told off for using plastic bags instead of paper ones for fruit.
Believing that I could pick the fresh fruit on the stall when it was up to the smallholder to give me the stuff that was going off, as a right.
Changing GBP for a crisp 10,000 forint note and spending the rest of the day trying to get it changed.
Queing in banks to get my own money out for hours and under suspicion by the staff as to why I would wish to do such a thing in their bank.

4. Friends are in Budapest for a weekend - what must they absolutely see and do?
They must see all the tourist bits and buy me at least one beer.

5. What is your favourite Hungarian food?
Without doubt Goulash.

6. What is never missing from your refrigerator?
Haggis

7. What is your favourite Hungarian word?
Tessek as it is so versatile.

8. What do you miss the most from home?
More haggis

9. What career other than yours would you love to pursue?
Crime writer for x pat loop. I realise this may entail 1 hour work a year but ah well someone has to do it.

10. What's a job you would definitely never want?
Hungarian finance Minister

11. Where did you spend your last vacation?
Scotland

12. Where do you hope to spend your next one?
England

13. What was your favourite band, film, or hobby as a teen?
Leonard Cohen , folk music and playing guitar.

14. What can't you resist?
Haggis

15. Red wine or white?
Definitely Hungarain red as white is just the prototype for real wine.

16. Book or movie?
Book

17. Morning person or night person?
Night person

18. Which social issue do you feel most strongly about?
Disabled rights

19. Buda side or Pest side?
Niether more village side.

20. What would you say is your personal motto?
''Never let the b---------- grind you down.''