fidobsa

I've not had problems with the Police generally in Hungary and I don't think I've ever seen them in the village. I think for places like this they make do with the Polgárőrség, community policing.
If I do give up on Hungary and go to UK or elsewhere it will be other factors that influence my decision. For me the worst aspect of living here is the language. It is full of very long words, completely unrelated to the same word in Latin based languages and hardly anyone speaks any English. I think it would be easier to get by with English in just about any other EU country, even France!
The other problem that is making me question my future in Hungary is mosquitoes. They are particularly bad this year and I am covered in painful lumps from their bites. I am in so much discomfort that I don't get more than a couple of hours sleep each night. I suppose this might be a particularly bad village for them but I don't know why it should be. I'm not aware of any lakes or ponds nearby.

Azarel

I lived in Turkey for years and went through the same thing initially. Actually, the two languages are related linguistically and whenever I've looked at Hungarian grammar a lot of the concepts are very familiar, even if the vocab is completely different to Turkish. Romanian, by contrast, is a piece of cake. If I don't know the word, I just guess it using something vaguely Latin-based and Romanianize it. Sometimes I get the genders mixed up, and my accent isn't great and makes people laugh, but I could converse with people after a year in the country. Turkish, on the other hand, took me about three or four years to get comfortably conversant in, but you do get there in the end if you keep practising (Turks are extremely talkative and uninhibited, so you are constantly getting drawn into conversations with strangers - annoying sometimes, but useful from a language learning perspective).

I found with Turkish there was a point when you just start to 'get it', and once you hit that point, you start to improve a lot quicker. I think that point came after about a couple of years of struggle.


Again, I had the same problem in Turkey. The first year was terrible; each bite itched like crazy for 24 hours and drove me up the wall at night. By the time I left (after five years there) I hardly noticed the bites any more so I can only assume that after a while you build up a kind of resistance or tolerance to the venom.

Rural Hungary

The truth of the matter is that Hungary, like every other country, has good places to live and not so good. If you have upwards of £40-50,000 to spend then you will have no problem buying in an area that has few to little problems. Below this price, especially below £20,000, you have to be more careful as many properties are cheap for a reason. "Pestering" is a problem in some villages and can be quite intimidating for some people, especially retirees. Likewise petty crime and burglaries, in general not a problem but in some areas a huge problem. Nationalism, racism and homophobia not apparent in some areas whilst openly expressed in others. Likewise organised crime, drug smuggling and people trafficking.
I have said many times on this forum, Hungary, like Britain, has many problems but like Britain, these problems tend to be confined to specific areas. Often, I draw comparisons to the conversations I hear/have in Kent regarding immigrants with those in areas of Hungary. In both cases, anybody with darker skin than themselves should be shot, hung or thrown out the country and this from intelligent, educated individuals. It can be quite unnerving especially remembering that we ourselves are immigrants.`
It takes a bit of time and scratching to get under the skin of Hungary but despite the negatives, I still enjoy living here.

Rural Hungary

It takes time with the language and I am still terrible whilst, as you know, my daughter and husband are very good. Why not buy one of the electronic translators, a friend lent us theirs for a while and it is useful. You also soon pick up words through using it. An idea I had for my son, after his exams, which might work in your village is to put a sign in the library offering free English language evenings. There are many children in Nagy learning English at college and grammar school who would love to spend an hour or two with a native speaker. That way you get to know people in the village/area who speak even rudimentary English and hopefully they can also help with your Hungarian.
Regards the mozzies, it is a known problem this year so everybody is suffering.

1. Keep indoors after 6-7pm
2. When sitting or sleeping, have an electric fan on as it blows them away.
3. Buy eucalyptus, citronella and lemongrass essential oils - you can order them online. Add about 20 drops of each to 100ml of water and put in a small plastic spray bottle. Spray when needed and then every hour - it does work.
4. Take zinc tablets

capricorn2013

Do you remember what make the translator was? Having looked online at them there is quite a selection - the cheaper ones only translate individual words or phrases, if you want to translate sentences they seem to cost from £100 to £300.

cathyg

With regard to the language I have two apps, one being a Hungarian translator which was either free or very cheap. The second is I downloaded the google translate app which is free. I use these on my iPad, but you can use google translate on a pc.
Have just been to a tile shop with our plasterer and he used a translate program on his phone and we managed to communicate fine.
All of our 'workers' use my iPad to communicate using the google translate app. Its very easy but you need access to Internet so wouldn't work out and about. I guess a good phone would be an alternative.

cathyg

Agree with you Rural. We feel we are in a good area with access to services and usually we can find someone who speaks a little English.
As Kirsty and Phil says, location, location, location

capricorn2013

I have translation on my laptop but I was thinking of a hand held translator as I don't have an ipad as I prefer a phone with blackberry type keys for texts rather than a touch screen.

windyridge1

thank you for all your responses..... its good to have an all round opinion and it only encourages us more to get over there and see for ourselves.

RH - I will be booking Eurotunnel and accommodation on the way down this weekend, but if you are able to meet up with us if you can give us an ideal location we can arrange to be in the area and find accommodation as well

Rural Hungary

Hi, will 100% email you tomorrow. I thought coming to Budapest for the week would allow me more time rather than driving back and forth for exams but that would be too easy and it is me after all - drama just follows me around.... To date, car broke down, only a flat battery and my own fault as I fell asleep with the blowers on. Then had dinner with a cockroach, literally, worst thing was that we had been eating for over an hour before I noticed it on our table and then I managed to book into a hotel during the World dog show and it just happens to be one of the hotels providing accommodation to the dogs and owners - never mind, full refund from the restaurant and free upgrade at the hotel to a suite in a dog free area... Won't tempt fate by saying it can only get better! On a positive note, son seems to be finding the exams fairly easy

Tomsky2012

Looking at doing the same thing ourselves but closer to the Romanian border or central Hungary there are some excellent roads for tours a beautiful lake and the fantastic twisties of romania
to be taken
dont be doing it on a harley tough miss windy ridge lol

Have a safe trip dont bring anyof the Staffordshire weather and ride safe see you soon you have our number x