Hungary 🇭🇺

Orsolya, 31

Born in Budapest, Hungary

Came to Australia in April 2017

What is your occupation?

I am an Advertising Technology Manager at Yahoo Australia. I work with media agencies that set up advertising campaigns for companies. Some of my biggest clients that I’ve worked with include HP, McDonald’s, Pepsi and ANZ.

I studied Hotel Management at Hotelschool in The Hague, Netherlands. The skills are very transferable between hotel management and advertising; we studied finance, marketing and corporate management at university.

As a side business, I’m launching a hair product called Suntide with my best friend. This product is designed to untangle your hair after you’ve swum at the beach. As someone who frequently goes to the beach, my hair is always tangled up and as such, I was inspired by a Brazilian friend who had designed something similar in Brazil.

Why did you come to Australia?

I was living in London at the time and a lot of Brits want to move to Australia. A few of my friends said that I’d love Sydney and so I decided to make the journey here. What appealed to me was that Australia is an English-speaking country, has a welcoming climate and has a high standard of living. I am happy with Sydney and this is where I’d like to call home for the rest of my life.

What do you like about Sydney?

I love the beaches and proximity to such gorgeous nature. You definitely don’t have such inviting weather in London.

I’ve lived in 5 countries (Hungary, The Netherlands, Belgium, UK and Australia) and Sydney has by far the highest standard of living. I feel like everyone cares a lot about their health and fitness. I genuinely feel like my life is a holiday here.

Living in Australia has allowed me to travel to Fiji, New Zealand and other parts of the world.

What don’t you like about Sydney?

I hate the public transport system in Sydney. It’s very disjointed and it takes me an hour and a half to get somewhere by bus whereas I could just drive there in half an hour. The buses are always late or just never show up. I feel like you do need a car to live in Sydney.

I feel like the rules are quite strict in Sydney. There have been several instances where I was denied entry to pubs and clubs, and I wasn’t even rowdy or drunk. I nearly got fined during lockdown for doing handstands in Coogee. It feels like a nanny state at times but I guess the city as a whole is very safe and that is a price I’m happy to pay.

What would you like to say to Sydneysiders?

Count your blessings that you’re living in the best city in the world.

What languages do you speak?

Hungarian and English

I’ve learnt a bit of French, Dutch and Russian but I wouldn’t say I speak any of those. I never really put much time into learning languages as I believe there are better ways of spending my time.

Teach us one word/phrase from your native language.

Egészségedre

This is how to say Cheers in Hungarian.

Hungarian wine is very underrated. You can even find Tokaji wines at Dan Murphy’s. Tokaj is Hungary’s most famous wine region and is the gold standard of Hungarian wine regions.

What is one thing you want us to know about your native country?

It’s a beautiful country to visit and it’s got something for everyone. Some places that I would recommend are:

• Széchenyi Thermal Bath, the largest medicinal bath in Europe.

• Lake Balaton, the largest lake in Central Europe.

• Ruszwurm Confectionery, a cafe that is inside Buda Castle.

• The various wine regions in the Hungarian countryside. Everyone just visits Budapest whereas the countryside is gorgeous. Tokaj, Villány, Eger and Nagy Somló

In your opinion, who is the most famous person in your native country?

Ferenc Puskás

He was a Hungarian soccer player, generally considered to be one of the best players in the world and the sport’s first international superstar. There is a Puskas award awarded every year by FIFA to the player who scores the most aesthetically pleasing goal.

I’m not really into football but it’s the first name people mention when I say I’m from Hungary.

What is the best dish in your native country?.

Chicken paprikash

Probably one of the most famous Hungarian dishes, it features tender chicken in a rich, flavorful and creamy paprika-infused sauce!

Turo Rudi

Túró Rudi is the name of a curd snack that has been popular in Hungary since 1968. It is a chocolate bar filled with a dairy cream resembling cottage cheese, from which it received its name (“túró” means cottage cheese in Hungarian, while “Rudi” can both refer to “rod” or the nickname of Rudolf).

Langos

A very typical Hungarian street food, it is a deep-fried flatbread. It is so delicious and you can get it at Glebe Market!

Disclaimer: All posts are personal opinions and perspectives of the interviewees and are not a perfect representation of the whole country/experience.