MAGAZINE
https://www.easyexpat.com/en/mag/2011/08/29/2011/08/29/from-british-columbia-to-budapest-to-the-south-of-france-that-s-hamori.htm
Interviews
From British Columbia to Budapest to the South of France: That's Hamori!
I am Eva Hamori. We sold our life in BC, live part time in Budapest and buying a B&B in the South of France.
1. Why did you move abroad?
I love the European lifestyle. Walking streets, people dress up to go to the store, communities gather in parks and have outdoor celebrations. The pulse of Europe is young, alive and fun. Families are active, they are travellers and have strong family ties. It’s not just a place to live, it’s a place to be alive.
2. How do you make a living?
Right now I work at Safeway. Been there 20 years. Alfonz sold off his business, so he is pre retired for now. We sold off our cars, and home, bikes and trampoline, sauna, and all our sporting gear. With our savings we hope to buy an established B&B in South France and have that as our income generator. If all works out I will officially quit Safeway.
3. How often do you communicate with home and how?
When in Budapest, we have Internet hooked up to at our home. Skype and long distance phone calls are often the way we have gone in the past. Email messages and Facebook has kept us connected to our loved ones in BC.
4. What's your favorite thing about being an expat in Hungary?
I love how we walk everywhere, being that our apartment is in downtown Budapest, on the Pest side, it is more common folks like us. You really get the flavour of the people. The home we wish to buy in France is in the countryside, and we hope to establish a very different contrast to what we have in our metropolitan city life. I wish to have a dog, and the freedom to roam. A little more space, a nice pool, and a big kitchen great for celebrations. Like the renewing of our wedding vows. We plan, once nice and established in France, to invite friends for a wedding. It will be the 3rd time Alfonz and I have been married.
5. What’s the worst thing about being an expat in Hungary?
Hungary is land locked and living my entire life on the seaside I guess that’s the hardest adjustment. Often our family walks and plays along Crescent Beach or White Rock Beach. We love to skip rocks, and swim in the ocean. But a quick drive to Lake Balaton and we have a wonderful time there too. It is the largest Lake in Central Europe.
6. What do you miss most?
I miss my mom. And the circle of friends we created around us from living in White Rock for the past 7 years. South Surrey has a community based on families but the weather and the population explosion is a little much for us.
7. What did you do to meet people and integrate in your new home?
Join a church is the best way to meet people. In Hungary Alfonz and I have cousins and they introduce us to many people as well. In France, I hope that the kids school will connect us quickly to our new community.
8. What custom/ habits do you find most strange about your adopted culture?
I am still getting used to people drinking in parks, smoking in the open and letting their dogs pooh on the street. Canada is pretty conservative and laws are strict. Both France and Hungary have these things in common.
9. What is a myth about your adopted country?
Alfonz says that when he travelled around France people were never rude to him. His theory is you get what you give. You will find exactly what you put out there. I’ll keep you posted on this one once established in France.
For Budapest, I heard that no one speaks English. Once true, almost everyone in the tourist areas speak fluent British English. Tourists really should see this exquisite country. SO much to see and do and loaded with rich history.
10. What advice would you give other expats?
Live your life as if it were your last year on Earth. If we all wait until retirement some of us won’t make it. Make this the life you were trying to get to.
11. When and why did you start your blog?
I started writing our adventures every time we went on vacation since I was 12. Now that the kids are old enough to read and take part in the blog, I decided to expand from a family Blogspot page to a website on WordPress. I feel our adventure is worth following. It’s inspirational to find people like us that have already found their life’s dream and are living it. I hope to be that inspirational one day.
12. How has the blog been beneficial?
I love our family adventure journal. 1000’s of people have contacted us in the past 2 months to ask how it is going, where are we at in the plans to make a permanent move. Budapest and France homes are a unique mix, and I think the fascination is if we will succeed or not. People love a good story good, bad and ugly.
Eva's blog, That's Hamori!
Find out more about being an expat in France with Easy Expat's
Author: texkourgan | 2011-08-29 10:29:09