A letter from Budapest

Hi F.!

How r u? News about Greece is really dramatic. I hope the situation is not as tragic as it's presented in the media. We read about 3 people who died and various cars burnt, apart from the tough economic condition.

I understand quite well the feelings of disappointment because in Mexico it has happened too MANY times that politicians make economic commitments for small people to pay the debts, and Mexican foreign debt is HUGE!

Here in Hungary we just had elections and the opposition won; people were fed up with the so-called socialists, because they lied too much about the economic condition of the country and there was rampant corruption. People now have some hope that at the end of the month the new -right wing- government will make a difference. As far as I' m concerned I don't trust politicians too much. But it's true that in Hungary right and left have different meanings than in other countries. The right wing majority party is not my favorite but they aren't extreme.

Unfortunately an extreme-right party also made it to the Parliament because their motto was Delivering Justice against corruption, which is ok but also some of its members are against gay rights and talk against immigration: for a Hungary for Hungarians (!) -when their leader was publicly asked what that meant in the context of the E.U. he hesitated and said that a Hungarian is not a person who has just a passport but one who feels Hungarian…

Besides that we are doing more or less ok. B. got back his previous job and they started by paying him the holidays they owed him for 4 (sic) years! So now he's starting a very looong holiday. When he goes back to work by mid Sept. we expect his former bosses will have been replaced –because of the political changes.

I keep teaching and it's something I really enjoy. We'll very likely start building an attic to extend the space of our apartment. I guess you'd like to see it, it's quite interesting!

What about you? Please let me know how r u and any special news there is in Athens…

Hugs, 

J.

P.S. Greetings from B.

(*) J. is a Mexican graphics designer and an activist for the rights of Chiapas living in Budapest. B. is a Hungarian journalist. We all three met in Tokyo back in 1994.

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