Xpat Interview: Esther Holbrook

Esther Holbrook is a Budapest-based writer and a human-rights activist. Born in Carmel, California, her family became Californian immigrants to Oregon when she was five years old, and Holbrook considers Ashland, Oregon, USA her hometown. She graduated from Southern Oregon University in 1997 with a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in Journalism.

Holbrook moved to Budapest in 1998, working for a brief year at Budapest Week and then at Hungary Around the Clock for over five years. She spends her days balancing work at the Roma Press Center, freelance writing for publications such as Budapest Sun and Caboodle.hu and working on her latest project, Rainbowhands Recruitment.

She has worked AMARC (International community radio association), written for tourist guides such as Time Out and backpackers.hu. Her all time favourite work is doing commercial voice-overs.

1. When did you arrive in Hungary and what brought you here?
I arrived February 15, 1998. I had recently graduated from University and had never been abroad, though half my friends were foreign exchange students so I really felt it was now or never. I was considering moving to Moscow, but my Russian friends talked me out of that. My Hungarian friends were shocked when I choose Hungary. I had been informally studying about the Roma situation in Europe. All the Roma organizations were in Budapest, so it was quite clear for me to come here.

2. Have you ever been an expatriate elsewhere?
No.

3. What surprised you most about Hungary?
Not by very much at all. I had been training myself to not build pre-conceived stereotypes about places and people for a long time, so I didn?t get homesick or culture shock. However, I was a bit shocked that everyone refused to speak Russian or didn?t actually know any. That was the only language I studied and knew a little of. Oh well.

4. Friends are in Budapest for a weekend - what must they absolutely see and do?
Hõsök ter, Kerepesi temetõ, Liszt Ferenc tér, Gül Baba memorial, Piaf?s. I would take them for a drink to the Három Holló but it?s demolished now!

5. What is your favourite Hungarian food?
I really like that Slovak/Hungarian sheep cheese/pasta dish - Strapacska

6. What is never missing from your refrigerator?
Beer, of course.

7.What is your favourite Hungarian word?
Tessék? Actually I don?t have a favorite word. I just recently adopted a favourite colour; Maria Teresa yellow, but that is just because everyone else has one. Actually, it?s a shame the new trams are now bright yellow as opposed to the Maria Teresa yellow the old ones were!

8. What do you miss most from home?
Bagels and cream cheese.

9. What career other than yours would you love to pursue?
Advertising. You know coming up with campaigns and slogans and designing ads. I bet its horrible in real life but it looks fun. Bad ads drive me crazy. I think; ?who thought that phrase would appeal to anyone?? or ?the pictures cropped in the wrong place, what were they thinking??

10. What's a job you would definitely never want?
Construction and roadwork. Have you been watching those poor guys renovating the roadways? I am so glad it?s finally getting done but also glad I?m not the one doing it!

11. Where did you spend your last vacation?
Northern (and Southern) Ireland

12. Where do you hope to spend your next holiday?
Maybe Ireland again? It depends on whether my boyfriend is ever going to take me back home again after last time J

13. What was your favourite band, film, or hobby as a teen?
My parents were rather reclusive, leftist and religious. We had about 10 records of folk music in the house and the radio was talk radio all day. So, my favourite piece of music was Ravel?s Bolero and Debussy was my favorite composer overall. We never went to movies and our first television was bought when I was around 10 or 12?You can guess that I read a lot. I love fiction novels.

14. What can't you resist?
Talking.

15. Red wine or white?
Red all the way. Tokaji being the exception and something I also can?t resist.

16. Book or movie?
Book and then movie and then 3 hour discussion about how the movie wasn?t as good as the book.

17. Morning person or night person?
Night. My sister says I am too cheerful in the morning. Really though, I?m just on auto-mode until about 10:30 am. Can?t get to bed before 12 usually. I think it genetic.

18. Dog person or cat person?
Fish and Rabbits.

19. Buda or Pest side?
Pest.

20. What would you say is your personal motto?
?One day closer to glory and grandeur? ? It?s the greeting on the phone to remind me what I?m getting up for.