PETER KOVASSY
- GUEST EXPAT -
G'day guys,
Today I introduce another expat, a guy with whom I went to secondary school - PETER KOVASSY, or 'PK' to his old schoolmates. Peter has had an interesting life but the poor guy now lives in Lugano, Switzerland. Don't ya feel sorry for him?
Welcome, 'PK' ...
IN WHAT COUNTRY WERE YOU BORN?
I was born in Melbourne, Australia. However, not only am
I an Australian citizen, but a Hungarian citizen by birthright, (both parents
being born in Hungary).
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AND
YOUR JOURNEY TO LIVE OVERSEAS.
My parents were D.P.'s after WW2 and arrived in Melbourne
in 1949. Because of their heritage, I had a predominantly Hungarian upbringing.
I can speak, read and write fluent Hungarian.
Clancy and I went to the same
secondary school, and I have a Mechanical Engineering degree from Swinburne
University. (Famous Australian playwright, David Williamson, was my thermodynamics lecturer).
I joined the Hungarian Scouts when I was 11, not knowing
that this would be a major influence and turning point in my life. In 1977, I
set off for Europe to find my roots.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THE COUNTRY IN
WHICH YOU NOW LIVE?
My new
partner lives in Switzerland.
LUGANO LAKESIDE
WHEN AND HOW DID YOU BECOME AN EXPAT?
Actually,
I've been an expat twice. While travelling through Europe for three years in
the late '70s, I met my future wife whose Hungarian parents migrated to America
after WW2. She joined the Hungarian Scouts in New York, and we met while
connecting with the Hungarian Scouts in Europe. (Hungarian Scouting in Hungary itself
was banned by the Communist regime). I moved to New York in 1983 where I
married her and our first son was born. After four years, we moved to Melbourne
where two more sons were born.
After 24
years of marriage, we divorced and I travelled to Budapest in 2009 to give support
to my youngest son who received a scholarship to study there for a year. I also
studied there and received my CELTA qualifications to teach English as a second
language, which I did for almost two years. During my stay in Hungary, by
chance I met a Hungarian Scout visiting from Switzerland who I met while I was
roaming Europe in the late '70s. Romance blossomed and now I've been living in
her home town of Lugano for three years.
WAS IT AN EASY DECISION?
I felt that the recent events in my life were leading me
in the direction I finally chose. So it was a relatively easy decision to make.
I miss my three adult sons, but they have their own lives to live. The internet
keeps us very much in contact.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT LIVING
OUTSIDE YOUR OWN COUNTRY?
Here in
Europe everything is so close. One can hop over to another country very easily
and experience its people, history, way of life and foods. I also enjoy the
white winters.
WHAT IS THE HARDEST THING ABOUT
BEING AN EXPAT?
I rarely
have the chance to have a good yarn in English. Also, even if you can
understand the local language, understanding the local bureaucracy is always a
challenge.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR HOST
COUNTRY?
Switzerland
is a relatively safe country, very clean and there's plenty of WATER, (unlike
Down Under). In Lugano, all the public drinking fountains run continuously 24/7.
When I first saw this, I was astounded. Of the three main lingual areas of
Switzerland, I'm glad I live in the Italian region. There is only one Italian
canton, which is called Ticino, and they are more laid back here than elsewhere
in Switzerland. Italy is 20 minutes by car and if we're celebrating a birthday
or whatever, off we go to an Italian restaurant.
Oh, I
almost forgot! Swiss chocolate is the best and it's so cheap here.
WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST ABOUT YOUR OWN
COUNTRY?
I miss
our informality. In Europe, the languages all have the formal and informal
forms of address, and you have to be careful not to offend. Because Australia
has a multicultural society, our supermarkets have foods to cater for all
nationalities. Here in Lugano they cater to the Italians, with a little French
and German thrown in. Australians are very spoiled with the abundance of choice
of foods. I also miss fish and chip
shops.
DO YOU SPEAK ANY FOREIGN LANGUAGES?
As mentioned
earlier, I speak Hungarian fluently. My Italian and German are basic. My partner speaks fluent Italian, French and
Hungarian. She does a good job of German and English too. Many Europeans can
speak three or more languages. It's easier if you don't live on an isolated
island like Australia.
WHAT ARE YOU INVOLVED IN NOW?
At present,
I do some proofreading of English text on a Hungarian website. I'm also trying
to get some private students to whom I can teach English. This isn't easy in a
country where there are three official languages, (German, French and Italian),
and most people are striving to learn these three before trying for English.
HAVE YOU ALWAYS DONE THAT? EXPLAIN.
I started
teaching English in Budapest in 2009. Before then I was a mechanical engineer
specialising in the lift industry. Up until this year, I was still doing some
consulting work over the internet.
IS IT CHALLENGING BEING A FOREIGNER ?
Learning
a language is probably the only thing that I find challenging. Everything else
I take in my stride quite easily due to my travelling experiences in the late
'70s. European countries are becoming more racially mixed so that one doesn't
feel as foreign as thirty years ago.
WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHOR AND
WHY?
I don't
have one favourite author. I enjoy reading Agatha Christie books - the murderer
is usually someone you least expected. John Grisham's lawyer-themed books are
also a good read, especially "The Innocent Man," which is a true
story of the American justice system gone awry.
I also
enjoy anything to do with time travel. Like many of us, I have an idea for a
book - I'd like to bring Leonardo da Vinci to the present and blow his mind
with how we've progressed. I'm not a writer, so it will forever be an idea
buzzing around in my head.
Lately
though, I'm reading a lot of biographical books - Churchill, Gandhi,
Khrushchev, Mao.
DANUBE, BUDAPEST
YOU WERE EDUCATED IN AUSTRALIA BUT
ARE WELL TRAVELLED. DID YOUR TRAVELS INLUENCE YOU PERSONALLY?
I would
say my Hungarian upbringing has influenced me the most personally. When I was
bumming around Europe for three years in the late '70s, I was already armed
with a basic knowledge of Europe and the travelling rounded this out. Those
three years also taught me how to be street smart.
Now that
I've lived in Hungary for almost two years I've come to the realization that
although I'm a citizen of two countries, I'm still an outsider of sorts in either country. I
will never be a "fair dinkum" Aussie or Hungarian. I'm not bemoaning this;
it's just that I often wonder what it would be like to be 100% whatever.
HAVE YOU WON ANY PRIZES OR AWARDS? WHAT
DID THEY MEAN TO YOU?
Over the
years, I've received a medal and various commendations from the Hungarian
Scouting Association and the Hungarian Community in Melbourne for my volunteer
work with the youth.
I've
given myself a medal for one event in my life that I consider a personal best. While
I was in Athens in the late '70s, I took the bus to a village called Marathonas
and ran back to the Athens sport stadium where the first Modern Olympics were
held - distance 42kms. If you know your Greek and Sports History, you know what
this means.
OTHER THAN WORK AND FAMILY, WHAT
ELSE DO YOU LOVE?
I love
going on one day cycling trips, although it's a bit hilly in Switzerland. Back
in Melbourne, I enjoyed street orienteering. This isn't as demanding as bush
orienteering because you run through suburban streets and parks, and you don't
need a compass.
As an
engineer, I love to tinker and fix things. At the moment, I'm working on a
cuckoo clock - what else would you tinker with in Switzerland?
IF YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK
TO THE ENTIRE WORLD, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?
Firstly,
I'd say that all men and all women are equal and have the right to equal
opportunities, (and pay), and to be able to choose their own destiny without government,
social or religious interference. I also feel that too many people demand their
rights whilst ignoring their responsibilities.
DESCRIBE YOUR PERFECT DAY.
Getting
up without lower back pains would be a great start. After making myself a cup
of herbal tea, I sit down at the computer to check out my overnight email and
news from Down Under. All year round there's always some sort of festival or
outdoor entertainment in Lugano, and I especially like to go to the summer
concerts in the park. For those hot days, a soak in the lake is so soothing. To
top it off a yummy gelato hits the spot.
LUGANO LAKESIDE
ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT?
In the
long run, I feel that we're fighting a losing battle. In the 60 odd years that
I've lived on this planet, the population has increased over two and a half
times. Together with greed and selfish behaviour, the environment won't be able
to sustain humanity. Earth has existed for millions of years before man, and
will continue to exist for millions of years after us. It will take care of
itself without us.
WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?
Getting my Swiss
permanent residency status.
WILL YOU RETURN TO LIVE IN AUSTRALIA
AT SOME STAGE?
I visit
Australia every three years or so. I cannot say at this point whether I will
resume living there. Although my sons
aren't married yet, I reckon when the grandchildren come along I'll have to
rethink my plans.
ANYTHING YOU’D LIKE TO ADD?
I get very dismayed at the way mobile phones have taken
over people's lives. They're turning many of them into rude users who are
completely oblivious to their surroundings, and don't know when it's
inappropriate to use their phones. My partner works in a mobile phone repair
call centre, and it's sad to hear the countless stories of people getting
aggressive and abusive when, through their own stupidity and negligence, damage
their mobiles and expect instant repairs because they need their devices for
every minute of the day.
LUGANO SCHNITZEL
IN THE SHAPE OF AUSTRALIA!
Check out this video about the use of mobile phones:
2010 Anzac Day photos:
Just outside Budapest is a small cemetery for
fallen soldiers of the Commonwealth. Shot down Australian pilots are also
buried there. The Hungarian government maintains the cemetery and provides
honour guards for the Anzac Day commemoration.
Representatives from the Australian and Turkish embassies participate, and in that year, Tim Fischer (Former Australian Ambassador to the Vatican, former Deputy Prime Minister and Vietnam Veteran) was there. I had a brief chat with him.
Representatives from the Australian and Turkish embassies participate, and in that year, Tim Fischer (Former Australian Ambassador to the Vatican, former Deputy Prime Minister and Vietnam Veteran) was there. I had a brief chat with him.
Lugano Christmas Lightshow:
Every year Lugano puts up a lightshow on the
façade of the town hall. I filmed this YouTube clip in 2011.
Women's Aussie Rules in Lugano:
To my astonishment, I found out there's an
Aussie Rules footy league in Switzerland and Italy. What was even more
astounding was that females also play the game, albeit with reduced numbers on
a smaller ground. On a continent where
soccer rules I find this extraordinary.
Bruce
Airhead:
Every summer Lugano organizes a weeklong Buskers
Festival. This character is an Aussie expat from Essendon who does this act for
a living, and he does quite well out of it. (The clip is actually from England
because my clip was too long and a bit shaky).
Cycling in the Swiss Alps
Fun Cycling:
I saw this Beer Bike Ride contraption in Budapest last
year. Every barstool has a set of pedals, and while one person steers, one
pulls beer and the rest drink and pedal to their heart's content.
Also in Budapest is a six-person alcohol-free version
bike.
Clancy's comment: Man, 'PK', we thought you were doing it tough. I think I will ring the 'old boys' and tell them to stop sending the cheques. By the way, you can have that white stuff they call snow. I know you think it's white, wet and wonderful ... but I love the heat.
Thanks for the interview, mate. Love ya work!
I'm ...
Think about this!
Just ask 'PK'.
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