Jerome Simpson, Coordinator, Civitas Vanguard

  • 25 Oct 2012 12:00 PM
Jerome Simpson, Coordinator, Civitas Vanguard
Born and raised in the UK in 1971, Jerome Simpson holds a BSc degree in Information Science which was obtained from Leeds Metropolitan University before graduating the International Space University. A keen traveler, he has lived in Budapest, Hungary since 1994, putting his knowledge management skills to noble use since 1995 for the benefit of civil society, cleaner and safer cities and the environment.

Currently he coordinates CIVITAS VANGUARD, an EC ‘support action’ from 2008 until 2013. His specialties include know-how and technology transfer in information systems, sustainable mobility and Civil Society Organisation functionality.

He has led various teams at the Regional Environmental Center since 1997, currently its Green Transport experts, and has organised training courses, designed and edited multi-lingual resource materials, conducted technology transfer assessments and published best-practice guides.

He is happily married to the photographer, Mirjam Logonder and a proud father of two and takes a special interest in genealogy, space science, human rights and West Ham United. Besides authoring Wandervögel, his first book outside of his professional line of work, he has written a number of travelogues and has also been involved in establishing a number of websites, including www.wandervogel.org. He has lived in Szentendre since 1997 and can be reached via Linked-In here.
 

1. When did you arrive in Hungary and what brought you here?
Summer 1994 and of course, a Hungarian leányka (who called my interest in the central and east European region a ‘perversion’)!

2. Have you ever been an expatriate elsewhere?
Prague, briefly, back in late summer 1992. I hitchhiked there after a 2-month summer holiday and spent six weeks looking for a job from which I could pay at least the rent!

3. What surprised you most about Hungary?
The summer heat. When you’re a tourist it’s wonderful. But riding the HEV every day from Csepel nearly killed me. I got nosebleeds every day for the first week!

4. Friends are in Budapest for a weekend - what must they absolutely see and do?
A boat up the Danube to my home, Szentendre, followed by grilled fish over the open fire on my telek in Pismany, above Szentendre’s Skanzen.

5. What is your favourite Hungarian food?
Halaszlé on Christmas Eve (as made by the former mother-in-law)!

6. What is never missing from your refrigerator?
That essential ingredient of life: water!

7. What is your favourite Hungarian word?
The entire language is beautiful, almost every word are favourites (except those I can’t pronounce). Szélid if pushed.

8. What do you miss the most from home?
The band circuit (and crumpets). So few good bands come to visit Hungary.

9. What career other than yours would you love to pursue?
Space science or a PhD in German social history, furthering my genealogical research on multi-generational migration.

10. What's a job you would definitely never want?
Roadsweep – mum used to warn me all the time that if I didn’t get my O-levels I’d end up sweeping the streets!

11. Where did you spend your last vacation?
Berlin first, to see the Beach Boys, then home to the UK to visit mum and dad and then on to Cornwall where I last holidayed 30 years ago, aged 10!

12. Where do you hope to spend your next one?
A return to the US to re-live our honeymoon in another part of this wonderful land!

13. What was your favourite band, film, or hobby as a teen?
Anything electronic. I grew up in the 80s so Human League, Gary Numan, New Order or Propaganda was in regular rotation on my record deck.

14. What can't you resist?
My wife! She totally disarms me.

15. Red wine or white?
Australian Shiraz but I do love Balaton’s Chardonnay too.

16. Book or movie?
I love visiting the movie theatre, but I can’t resist a book either. Especially while researching and writing one!

17. Morning person or night person?
Night. The last early morning I had, my wallet was stolen during the rush hour on the tram in Lisbon because I didn’t put it away properly.

18. Which social issue do you feel most strongly about?
Transgender rights. The discrimination those who feel they are born with the wrong gender experience is appalling. Hungary is no exception. More info click here

19. Buda side or Pest side?
Pest. Ah the movie theatres, the restaurants, the sights.

20. What would you say is your personal motto?
Any waste of effort isn’t part of my design (which was a line by Phil Oakey in a Human League song). I heard it and thought, that’s so me!

 

 

 

 

 

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