From the New Europe: Transylvania art in the streets of Budapest

by Iva Skoch on

If Hungary is on your travel list this spring, make sure to check out the open air art exhibit in the streets of Budapest.

According to the Budapest Sun Online, sculptures, paintings and photographs by Hungarian contemporary artists have broken out of galleries to enjoy the spring scenery.

Szabadság tér, the green area in front of the television building in Budapest, brings together the work of some of the best Hungarian and Romanian photographers who captured the daily life of in Transylvania, Romania, as reflected in the variety of its people, customs, landscapes and architecture. I like the way they describe it: “The 100 images depicting in positive light the Romanians, Hungarians, Roma and Jewish people, as well as the architectural remains of a once vibrant Saxon culture, are celebrated for their peaceful co-habitation within the frame of Transylvania’s magnificent landscape.”

Funny that they have to stress that these photographs depict the life in a “positive way.” Hmm, there is a new, fresh way to look at Transylvania!

Are you smarter than a 5th grader or Kellie Pickler?

by Jamie Rhein on

First of all, I really do like Kellie Pickler. She seems like a lovely person and kind. She certainly sings much better than I do and has made more money than I have–way more. I hate feeling mean, (kind of), but she was mentioned in a recent New York Times article as an example of American fondness for being dumb. Dumb might be too harsh. How about ill-informed? Not intellectual?

On the show “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” Kellie Pickler didn’t know the answer to the question, “Where is Budapest?” She’s cute as a button, but she hadn’t heard of this city before and made the situation worse by saying she thought Europe was a country. (see YouTube video)

Susan Jacoby, the author of the book, “The Age of American Unreason” writes about situations such as Kellie Pickler’s geography blunders as a problem in the United States. According to her findings, Jacoby thinks there is a general hostility to knowledge. There is a funny, but very sad anecdote she presents about two men she overhears talking about Pearl Harbor and the Vietnam War. You didn’t know there was a connection? There isn’t. The two men were a bit confused. One of them hadn’t heard of Pearl Harbor. The other said the Vietnam War started after the Vietnamese dropped a bomb in a harbor. That’s interesting. Overhearing the conversation inspired Jacoby to write the book. I’m inspired to read it since I’m a befuddled wondering how people could be satisfied living in the world and have no interest in what is past the borders of where they live.

The 5th grader did know where Budapest is. There is hope. Hopefully, he’ll remember when he hits high school and after he graduates.

Man fakes his own death while surfing in Greece

by Iva Skoch on

At first, it sounded like a great, simple idea. The husband pretends he is dead while the wife collects his life insurance. She will send him money periodically as he assumes new identity abroad. It almost happened that way, Czech press reports.

A Hungarian man, Zoltan Rex, and his wife were vacationing in Greece in 2001, when Zoltan “disappeared” while surfing. Of course, the wife and a few friends were in on the scam and played along. The authorities proclaimed him dead after about a year, but they never found his body. The insurance company, however, refused to pay the roughly $1.3M, because they found it strange that a man would take out several life insurance policies and then disappear. (Note to self: When faking death, remember that insurance companies are not stupid.)

Poor Zoltan escaped to Crete, then Italy, and finally ended up in the Czech Republic, where he lived under the name László Boros until his true identity was discovered last year. The plan never really worked the way they intended. His wife lost hope of ever getting the money and got remarried in 2005.

Now, Zoltan’s only hope is either a) reality show, b) book deal, or c) flourishing career in Eastern European politics.

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Michael Palin’s travel series “The New Europe” starts Monday

by Jamie Rhein on

This coming Monday Michael Palin’s new seven-show travel series, “The New Europe” starts on The Travel Channel. He’s taking the TV audience through “post communist” Europe to highlight the natural beauty, history and culture of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Hungary, and Bosnia among several others in Eastern and Central Europe (20 in all), many that were behind the Iron Curtain when he was growing up in Great Britain.

There’s an interview with Palin at World Hum about the series. David Farley’s questions brought out an intriguing look into what thoughts go into a travel series in the first place–including the name of it.

“The New Europe” stuck for this series title, even though it’s a term coined by Donald Rumsfeld, of all people. I wonder if Donald Rumsfeld has a travel series in his future.? Or if people are looking for a catchy title they could call him up for his wordsmith magic.” To be clear, the name of the series and the fact that Donald Rumsfeld called this part of the world “the new Europe” while he was U.S. Secretary of Defense is purely coincidental. They have nothing to do with each other, but in the interview with Palin, Farley included the show’s reaction to the sameness and the decision to keep the name anyway.

When deciding what to include and what not to include in an episode, the balance between what will make for an interesting show and what the country’s reaction to its portrayal are taken into consideration. For example, the idea is to show the scope of the region so countries are not necessarily highlighted for the same reason. In summary, people from one country may look at the depiction of another country as having gorgeous scenery, but not that aspect of the their own and feel slighted. It’s heck to be an editor. Someone is bound to feel slighted.

In the Farley’s interview Palin also muses about the difference between Americans’ and Europeans’ ideas about travel and what draws him around the world. The series that airs at 8 p.m. looks like one that won’t disappoint– and I certainly recommend the interview.

GADLING TAKE FIVE week of 12-7-07

by Catherine Bodry on

Gadling bloggers have been as busy as Santa’s elves this week. It’s hard to choose five posts from so many, so this week I’m offering five categories:

There you have it! Lots of fun stuff to peruse over your weekend — enjoy it!