WLB: How did you end up in Budapest?
Alyssa: I come from Buffalo, New York. I moved here with my boyfriend, who received a job offer from his uncle. I didn't have a job in the beginning, but after an internship at Prezi, I had the chance to stay and work here full-time as a member of the support team.
WLB: Does the city inspire you on any level?
Alyssa: This is the first time in my life when I live far from home for a longer period. What is more, Budapest is the first big city I had a chance to live in. I get a lot of experience every day, of course these things inspire me. I want to make the most out of the fact that I'm living in the heart of Europe, so I get to travel a lot.
WLB: What do you like the most about the city?
Alyssa: I know people often compare Budapest to Prague, but I would never do that. Why am I not living in Western Europe? Budapest is just as beautiful city as Paris or Rome, but life is much cheaper here, and there is not a tourist sight in every corner. In Budapest there are simply more to explore.
WLB: Do you speak Hungarian? Do you have a favorite word?
Alyssa: I'm starting to get a hang of it, everyone around me says that I'm trying harder than other expatriates. I don't go to a language school, but I'm picking up new words every day. The people I work with are mostly Hungarian, so they help me a lot.
I have to say, it's a very difficult language, and it scares away foreign people from learning it. I found a good way to absorb new words: I try to memorize the street names, and then I look up their meaning in the dictionary. My favorite word is most definitely burgonya (means potato)! So funny!
WLB: Which is your favorite food around here?
Alyssa: I love everything... Okay, I like most part of the Hungarian cuisine. I love the fact that I can ask for pickles in any restaurant! This was my favorite food at home as well, but I could only buy it in the supermarket. I'm a big fan of Hungarian meals.
WLB: What does bother you in Budapest? Is there anything you want to bring here from home if you could?
Alyssa: In the United States I have a bigger range of choice from everything. I have problems in the supermarket around here, and it is also true in a wider meaning. For example, an average Hungarian young person does not have as many options, as an American has in the States. Besides my friends and family, I would definitely bring my car here.
WLB: What do you think about the Hungarians? What are their worst and best characteristics?
Alyssa: I was lucky enough to find the most wonderful Hungarians in my workplace. So I met people from Prezi, and I got to know the friends of my boyfriend, they are all very cool, open-minded and positive people.
I don't see the average Hungarian as negative as it is thought generally. On the other hand, the shop assistants can be rude quite often, in America it's much different.
WLB: Where do you go to have fun in Budapest?
Alyssa: I love the restaurants in Budapest, but the same applies here as well, in the United States the service is more polite. Although there are always exceptions, I have many favorite spots, where the staff is really nice, for example a place called Dionysos. I often go to the ruin pubs in Kazinczy utca, and DiVino is a very good option in the summer as well.
WLB: Any messages to the locals?
Alyssa: I just want to say, they should keep their heads up, even though the circumstances are not very cheering, if they were living somewhere else, they would be mad at another government for instance. They should be happy about the fact, that they're living in such a beautiful city like Budapest!
