Kiemelt témák

Welcome!

This topic is recomended for all the people who want to practice his/her knowledge, want to learn more, or just want to belong to a good company...

Szabályok: Magyarul írni tilos!
Kivételek: ha vmi nyelvtani szabályt, tudnivalót szeretnél megkérdezni
ha vmi nagyon-nagyon bonyolultat szeretnél kifejezni, de angol tudásodat ez meghaladja (azért ha lehet, próbálkozz angolul, nem baj, ha nyelvtanilag nem helyes)

I would like to ask the all translators, interpreters and English-well-speakers to correct our (or mine only - if everybody speaks English perfectly) English. Thanks.

Még egy: Kéretik senkit (elsõsorban engem ) nem kinevetni, kigúnyolni rossz angol-tudása miatt.


So, at first an introduction: (if somebody wouldn't know me )

My name is Zsoka. I write to babanet since its beginning. I have two kids, my son, Abel was boren on May 31, 1998; my daughter, Emese was born on Sept. 20, 2000. I am sick now - flu...
I hope that I wont be alone here, in this topic...
Zsoka

My son was _BORN_ of course

Dear Zsóka,

I think, this was a great idea!

Maybe I could get some good tips for my translations here if I have any problems with them.

Have a nice evening, I got to go to our little topic to tell the story of our day.

Take care,

Dia

Welcome,
first visitor of this topic!
Zsóka

Hi Zsoka,

Do you still remember me? We "talked" a lot on the chat before we had our babies. I was extremely scared of giving birth but obviously I survived it. :-))
This topic is a good idea (not like I don't have any other places to practice the language... :-))
I think your English is really good!
I have to go now but I'll be back later.

Agi

Hello there,
nice to see that someone had the same idea as I was thinking of... I am rather new around here so could not so far work out how to start off my idea. So thanks Zsóka for the initiative!
I am Katalin, have a daughter of 3 1/2 yrs, her name is Blanka. We live just outside of Budapest. I would be interested to hear where you all learnt your good English? Ági I gather you have other chances to speak in English - is it to do with your work?
I am really happy to see you all here.
Katalin
PS/ Perhaps this topic could be also good for those who have no knowledge of Hungarian?...

Hi Everybody!
I'm the ather Dia. I would like to connect for you,but I'm afraid,it won't be easy.
I have two doughters,the 16-month-old Hanna and 9-year-old Fanni.
Have a nice day!
F. Dia

Hi other Dia, nice to see you here too. Don't worry, we will help you (I think I can say this in the name of others as well?...)
I would rather say JOIN instead of connect - if you don't mind the little correction. I only dared to note this as Zsóka suggested so in her first message...
Two nice names for your girls! Whereabouts do you live?
Katalin

Hi everybody,

First of all Dia, I was gonna call my daughter Hannah Luca if I would've had a girl. But I had a boy who's name is Devon Bence. The reason behind the English AND Hungarian name is that we don't live in Hungary and my husband isn't hungarian. I am writing from Calgary, Canada and hopefully my child will be bilingual because I only use Hungarian when I speak to him and my husband uses English. I'm saying hopefully because he's only 13 months old and other than gibbrish he doesn't speak yet.
So this could be the answer for you Katalin. This is where I learned English (other than 4 years in high school). But I need to ask where did you learn it? Are you a teacher? Because yours is really good too!
Anyway we haven't eaten breakfast yet so we're gonna go and I'll see you guys later.

Agi

Very good morning to you Ági, here it is past 4pm, I am running home from work, lovely to read you, .... will come back tomorrow "Inshallah"..
thanks for the compliments, have a nice day and see u later. do write again to us.
Katalin

I don't want to be the only one who's constantly writing here and I don't want anyone to think that I'm trying to brag about my English. But whoever doesn't have the option to talk (write) in English I am willing to talk to those people here. I think it's a good practice for everyone.
Anyway I was gonna tell you guys that I've been here on the babanet since the beginning although I don't write a lot but I do read it every day. I'm addictid to it. :-))) And even though I live so far away from home :-(( I can thank the babanet that I found an other girl here in Calgary. She was writing here too and when I found out that she lives here as well I wrote an e-mail to her. For a few months we were just writing to each other and in September we met in person. Since then we talk on the phone a lot and we meet every once in a while. So look how many things the babanet is good for! :-))) Also I found a girl who lives in Budapest and she told me she has friends who live here and when she gave me their name, I checked the phonebook and realized that they only live one street down from me. Small world.
Well I have to go now, bye!

Agi

Hello everybody,
I am very glad that so many girls are here!

Ági, the other old in babanet!
of course I remember you! I remember how we tried to tell you that you will survive the labor and the giving birth and you'll raise him/her. How old is your son now? If I know well, he was born last Dec, didn't he? This is very good to get friends in your own city by babanet.

Katalin (or Nimaat?),
Where do you live? And what's yoor job? Maybe is it some translating or so?
I learnt English in school (for one yr) then on/in a course. I would like to continue learning, but since I have my two kids - I no have free time... But I think all of you know this side of life . I have a first-grade exam only so I want to learn more and get higher level... I have been in the U.S. twice, at first in 1997, in Alaska, for 4 mos, then in 1999-2000, for three and a half mos. I was god to practice my English - I watched TV and went to cinema and of course had good talks with my friends.

Hello other Dia ,
I hope you will enjoy this kind of practicing . Where do you live?

To all:
May I ask you, what is your job? I'm just too courious...

later,
Zsóka

P.S. I wrote some words in red color - I wasn't sure that these words or phrases are corrext in the sentence or not - somebody would correct me?
Thx
Zsóka

Hi, Everybody!
I'm here too. As I read, we have already met in another topics or on the chat. I've 3 boys. Máté is 6 1/2, Markó 4 1/2 and Benke 1 1/2 years old. I began to visit the babanet in the first times, when Benke was born, and I was sitting and breastfeeding for hours. In one of my hands was the baby, and with the other I was typing. The situation is the same now, only he doesn't breastfeed for hours. But this is the simpliest way to go sleep.
Ági, it's good to hear about you again.
Zsóka, this topic was a good idea. I've tried to read forums on american sites, to practice, but they weren't as good as the babanet. So, the babanet, in english, this is perfect.
Take care,
Liesel

Hi guys,

Here again. :-))
Zsoka,
Bence will be 13 months tomorrow. He was born October 15, 2000.
Your English is really good if you only took it for one year! Your red text above should be "wasn't he" and I think "in" a course, but I would just say "I took a course for (whatever amount of time)"
Liesel,
At the beginning when Bence was small I brought him into this room, put him on the desk beside me and I was typing like that. Nursing wasn't too easy so it always needed my full attention. And now he wants to type. )) Therefore I will go.
Zsoka, I'm a photographer but since I've been living in Canada I wasn't pracicing my trade because I don't have the equipment. So I work for a home building company as administrator and sales co-ordinator but since September I'm only there part time in the evenings because I wanted to stay home with Bence.
Ok, he's screaming here so see you later.

Agi

Hello Ági,
I have learnt English for almost two years, not one yr. (9 mos. in a school and the other nine mos in a course).
Photographs: I would like to be a photographer too, but I'm afraid I have no talent for that...

And now I'll copy a good English dictionary into my computer (the old one had always {hogy mondjék azt, hogy lefagy a számítógép?} my computer.
later,
Zsóka

Hi All!

How are you doing?

We had a nice day. I had my day out of the office, need to make some customs clearance, so I took Bori with me. She enjoyed it, and I was also happy to have her by my side for one day!

Sorry, here's my introduction. My daughter was born on 23rd June, 2000. I'm here from the beginning, with Bori inside. When she was born, I had no net, only got connected again in last December. But till then, I'm always here, every evening, mostly on chat, but also writing every day here.

I learned English from 8, first in the Elementary School, than in the Secondary also. I have a Medium Degree, but made at Rigó Street, so it doesn't really matter.

I work as a Sales Assistant at a daughter-company of Ciba Chemicals Inc in four hours. I also make some translations for Nat Geo, Discovery Channel and Animal Planet. So have not too much free time. And feel sometimes terribly tired.

Now I got to go, they are waiting for me on the chat.

Have a nice evening everybody:

Dia

Zsoka,

"It always froze my computer"
Sorry I didn't read your stories careful enough. I can see now that you did say 2 years of English studies. Anyway, it's still really good for a couple of years!

Dia,

I don't want to be rude but as far as I know the "kozepfoku nyelvvizsga" is called "intermediate language exam". Sorry I corrected you, I only did it because Zsoka asked at the beginning to do so.
How did you find this translation job? So this means whatever show goes on these channels in Hungarian those are your translations? Cool!

See you guys later!

Agi

Agi, both is OK. And I only wanted to say "középfokú"... Not all of those shows are mine, but some of them... Unfortunately, I have to do these translations during the nights when Bori is sleeping and this is really exhausting.
I found it with the help of one of my HBO colleague who moved to Masterfilm and called me when this oportunity appeared.


Cheers,

Dia

Hi everybody,
This topic has really nicely advanced since yesterday when I wrote last...it seems most of you are here in the evening hours, not like me, I can only do this during the day (when I have time).
Ági I am quite happy you are with us, but I think you all have quite a good grasp of the English knowledge. As to myself, I am working for Tetra Pak in Budaörs, in quality assurance area, which basically has nothing to do with any English --- very unfortunately! Besides, I am living in Göd, north of BP.
Re. my English, I have an Advanced Level Cambridge Certificate plus its 'domesticated Rigó utca version'. But I guess this is not what matters? I lived 5 continuous yrs in UK (89-94), this is where I have picked up some better English.
My current sorrow is that I am not really using it, and where else could I use it, if not for my work? But I can't at the moment. Dia I truly envy you for the good translating job - do you enjoy it?
I am, by the way, also a photography fan! Not in any way a professional, I wish it could be so, and I am just planning to do a short course to develop my little skills...
By the way, I have just very recently got attached to Babanet, and I am quite surprised how good it is, and how high quality.
And may I say again, I am TRULY enjoying this topic so far.
Bye for now,
Katalin

Nimaat: Thanks for the assistance!Two years ago we moved from Bp. to Szentendre.I like this place, my parents living next door.
My husband's workplace not far from yours.. He works from Tesco.
But Göd - Budaörs, it's terrible distance! When do you get up?
I seeing you in this moment on the chat!!!!
What does it mean "Inshallah"?
Sorry for my poor,and simple style!
See you later!
F. Dia (other and not ather)

Hi everyone,

It's almost 11:00 am here, Bence is naping so I can surf on the net for a while.
My days are not too exciting, I should say they are pretty much the same but I did not want to put my child into daycare so I decided to stay home with him myself. Here the maternity leave is only 6 months (actually now it's 1 year but when Bence was born it was only 6 months). So after the 6 months was over I went back to work and my parents came for the summer to look after him. When they left I stayed home because the daycare system is unbelievably poor here and at the same time it's extremely expencive. Now that Bence is gettig bigger it's easier with him and of course he's getting smarter too so we can do a lot of things together but that doesn't change the fact that I'm not around adults during the day. So I have the babanet to socialize.

Katalin,
Did you work in England or did you go to school? Where did you live there?

I actually have a few question for all of you because your children are older than mine.
First of all I'd like to know how you taught your children to eat with a spoon without getting totally messy and covered with food?
When did you stop givin pureed food to them? (Bence only have 4 teeth. He can chew a lot of things, they don't make him gag but if I want him to eat well I still give him mushed food or else he would only eat a fraction of it in chunky format)

Waiting for answers, thanks in advance, bye for now!

Agi

Hello everybody,
Ági, when I was in Cal., my friend told me that "szunyókál" (délutáni alvás etc.) "take a nap. Are both good? Or maybe napping in Canada, and taking a nap in the U.S.? Or this is (take a nap) an American slang?
When I told to my American friends that mothers can be at home (I mean doesn't have to work) with their babies for three years and they got money from the goverment for it, nobody believe me! They tought I translate something wrong .
About eating with spoon: I'm afraid you wont be able to get away without a big mess (and then a kitchen cleaning ). Actually, I don't remember how I did that... Just give a spoon to him (\red or give him a spoon?} - az Usában így mondjáék, which is the correct?). Maybe the best is if you give little bites for him - or fingerfood. I think he is too young to eat with spoon. So you - both of you - have time!

How do you say: "szalmaözvegy" in English? My husband is away for more than one and a half mos, and now I began to be worn out... To be/being alone with two children, in addition I am sick, this is too much for me. Theoretically (haasználjuk így ezt?) he will come back on 25th. But there is no letter or message from him yet...

Liesel,
Two years ago I was chatting on Yahoo, there are some pregnancy and family chatroom on there. I got many good advices there.

I will come back later,
Zsóka

Hi Zsoka!

Thanks for the advice. This afternoon we went and bought a spoon for him. It's got a short handle so it will be easier for him to get the food into his mouth. We'll see.
Your question about the "nap": I think both are correct. You can say "he's napping" or you can say "he's taking a nap". But of course I don't know this for sure. All I know is that here they use both. I learned most of my knowledge by speaking it I don't really remember the rules form school.
About the spoon: I would say both are correct.
The next one: "Being alone with the kids"
Yes, you can use "theoretically" the way you did it.
and finally I think the last red text is good the way you wrote it.
Katalin, I'm sure you know all the rules so please correct me if I was wrong in my corrections.

Let's go back to the Maternity Leave topic. Since January 1, 2001 they changed the law about it, it is 1 year instead of 6 months. This means you can collect money for a year (55% of your income) but most employers don't want to hold your job or if they do they let you go with some bullshit excuse the day after you go back. Nice eh? In my office 8 of us had babies in the last two years and I was the only one who used up the whole 6 months. So much so that I worked until the 13th of October and Bence was born on the 15th! I didn't want to waste my time before hand. The last girl had her daughter at the end of July and she'll be back to work full time as of January 1st. The baby will be 5 months old but she doesn't want to loose her job by taking the full year. She'll pay out probably $800 to childcare and will see her few months old baby for 2 hours a day because by the time she'll pick her up and get home it will be past 6:00 at least.
I feel lucky that my company let me go part time and allowed me to work evening hours. This way I go into the office when my husband gets home and bring home some stuff for the weekends.
So everybody at home in Hungary! Feel lucky that you have the option to be with your children for the first few years. Here most of us don't even see our child's first steps or hear their firs words.
Ok enough of me for now.
See you guys!

Agi

Hello dears,

Agi, I started this thing with stripping Bori naked. I think you can't avoid all of the mess, but maybe the spots on the clothing... Anyway, she started to eat with spoon at age 12-13 mos. And now (16 mos) she can eat pretty well. And sometimes she's still eating pureed foods, as she only got 7 teeth.

Zsóka! Being alone... As I know...

Now I gotta go.

Take care,

Dia

Hi Everyone, well it seems I am also going to break tradition - it is 7 in the morning and here I am writing to you. I enjoy seeing so many correspondance from last night - sorry I can't be with you in the evenings!
F. Dia, hi, yes Szentendre is indeed a good place - and yes Budaörs is far from Göd, but we have a co. minibus from Deák tér so I just sit in and get here comfortably. Getting up is at 5.30 (sometimes earlier, but I don't dare to say it, you might be shocked
Yes I did go to the chat yesterday but was only simply reading everyone's conversation - I never really practiced this art and the topic was such that I did not feel I could effectively join you all. But will have another look some other time.
Well the word Inshallah is something I picked up from the Arabic language/Egypt, they keep saying this in everyday conversation, =God willing= I just enjoyed it a lot, they really say it all the time in the Muslim world ( I am not a Muslim don't worry...) It is just nice how they don't leave anything to sheer chance. So sometimes I say it too, with the meaning of =if all goes well=....
Ági,in what sense is daycare system worse than the Hungarian one ( I guess you do know what it is like) - My daughter is attending kindergarten in Göd, they are nearly 30 in her group - far too many. The óvoda is very big too, there are lots of kids in our place, not like the Hung. average!
In UK I worked - printing press as typesetter/Darlington, up in the north, then later 2 yrs in London with mentally handicapped adults. Both were fun & I miss it a lot.
Re. Bence & his food, I don't remember really how I did it! I was definitely not making too much effort in trying to get Blanka use the spoon, because I hated the mess too, I rather kept her feeding myself. Perhaps not the best thing
Maybe my advice is to keep going the way you are doing now - you will notice when he is better at consuming proper food. It is also said it is better to give babies some spoonful of food first to quench their hunger, then they can try spooning themselves, as they can get frustrated if no food reaches their mouth and are still hungry. This is my advice anyway.
oh Ági I think there is no problem w. your English, and I am learning too!!!! like the expression 'napping'. When I went to UK in '89 I could hardly speak in E. although basic grammar I knew. Obviously the best way to learn a language is by being in the particular country & you will pick it up. My problem is forgetting, especially when my colleagues come and put some direct questions to me (taken out of context) - I really can hate that. And when I start asking more questions, it sounds like I am being too nosy
Ági I am curious to know how and when you ended up in Canada. Do you have friends, are you not feeling alone??
Zsóka, I hope you will survive until 25th, it is not far now - at least your h. is in a nice place?
You have any parents etc around to give you a hand?
Where do you live? Sorry if you've already said it and I missed it.
I have just seen your photos Zsóka and Ági, Bence, Ábel & Emese are so cute. I will try later to see if I can discover any more photos of you all - sorry as I said I have not been here long & it takes time to find my way around.
I would also like to reflect on the maternity leave issue, at least tell about my own experiences, but I will do it later - I have already written so much you girls might get fed up with me! So excuse the lenghtiness - and here is the task for you to decide whether this word exists at all?? I wanted to write the opposite of BREVITY - and I am not sure.
Wish you a good weekend,
Katalin

I have just managed to place a photo of my daughter under the topic Ismerjük meg egymást, if you are interested.
See u later
Katalin

Nimaat!

Your daughter is sooooo cute! Congratulations!
(I've posted the same message under the "ismerjuk meg egymast" topic. Sorry for repeating myself.)
Cipomama

P.S. "lengthiness" is an existing word, so you did just fine.

Hello everyone,

I checked out Blanka's photo and I have to agree with Cipomama. She is really cute! Congrats!
We tried to eat with a spoon yesterday in a way that he was holding it and I was guiding it. He let me do it a couple of times but after that the spoon flew across the kitchen because he wanted to do it alone and I didn't want him to. We'll keep trying though.
Katalin, the short version of my story is as follows. After I finished my photo school I wanted to go to university and take English but I didn't realize that my knowladge isn't even close to do so. That summer (1992) we came to Canada for a visit (My parents have some friends here) and they invited me over for a year so I can practice the language before I try the university. During this year I met my husband who is a friend of my parents' friend's son. After that I was basically flying back and forth between Hungary and Canada, 6 months here, 6 months there. After about a year and a half I said enough of this we either get married or let's break up. We got married (1996) and I moved here. The story of the moving and immigration is on the babanet under "Mi nok" and under " Kulfoldon (tul)elo kismamak".
Yes, I am rally lonely here and that's part of the reason why we are going to move back home by the time Bence goes to school. (In Hungary I'm from Sopron)
About the daycare system here:
Well there are two ways you can go. One is daycare the other is dayhome. Daycares are from babies being a few weeks old to 3 years. There's maybe 4-5 caregivers for 50 children. This includes the really small ones too. So if there are let's say 5 infants all they have time for is to change their diapers feed them one after the other and put them into their cribs. That's all they do all day lond. Lay in the crib and look at the ceiling. "Great!" Every kid I know who goes to daycare is sick all the time because companies don't give time to mothers to stay home when the child is sick. So they have to go even if they have fever or anything else. The caregivers are not teachers, they don't have any education. Maybe a first-aid course. So anybody can work at these places.
Dayhomes are mothers who stay home with their children and take in other kids too. This one is better, not that many kids are together but there is no one to organize these dayhomes. So if I'd want to, I could put my phone number on the trees in the neighborhood and if I find some people I can run a dayhome from tomorrow. It's the parents' responsibility to check out and make sure there's no smoking in the house, no anlimals eating out of my kids plate, no drug smoking etc. But how can I check these out? This is why I'm saying it's much better at home.
Katalin! How and why did you go to England? Were you homesick that's why you went back home or you never wanted to stay anyway? Is is too bad you can't be on the net in the evenings. When you are at work I's still sleeping and when I'm up you are home.
I think I was long enough again.
By for now!

Agi

Hi everybody!

I hope you do not mind if I join the club. My name is Nora and I am the mother of an 8 month old girl, Sarah. She is going to be a billangual one, since my husband is from the US.

I am new on the babanet, mostly just reading.
I have to say the topic was a good idea, and it is amazing how fast it grows.

Agi! It is really shocking what you wrote about the daycare-dayhome system. We will move to texas in the near future, and I am a little bit scared about that. If you have time, pls write a few words about how you found a job there. Was it easy?

Katalin! Did you get my e-mail? my computer crashed a few times lately,. so I am not sure whether it was sent or not.

Nora - Sorry I am very bad at spelling.

Hi everybody,
This topic has lot of visitors !

Ági,
about the spoon - again: My friend told me (she is a mom of three) that she gave a spoon to her first kid when she was one yo. But the second kis can't keep/bring/ fog-ot akarok mondani... spoon until he has turned 1,5 yr...

Katalin,
My husband is in Kamchatka now, so he is in a beautiful place . He went there on Sept 24th. He is a filmmaker - both filmdirector and director of photography, and he makes a documentary film. He use to go alone, with a big backpack and a camera, and goes to the wilderness. So I have not known anything about him since Sept. 30, when he started out to a small village.
I was with the kids at my parent's for two weeks, then my mom was here, she had to go back home on the day before yesterday. It's pretty hard now that I am pretty sick and nobody is here to do the shopping or go with the children to the playground. I feel terribly so the kids were not there for almost two weeks . I just go to the shop with them, that's their all walk a day outside .
We live in downtown of Budapest, just next to the Sote I. Clinic. My parents live in county Heves, so pretty far...

that's all for now,
later
Zsóka

Hello,

It is nice to see that there is so many of us here. Welcome Nora!
Zsoka!
About the spoon: the word you need to use is "hold". Well we have no problem holding it. ( And throwing it either... )
I'm sure your husband is ok, but I can imagine how nerv recking it could be not knowing that for sure.
Now I remember you said it in an other topic that you are from Kal? My aunt used to live in Nagyut before they moved to Eger. My uncle was the mayor in Nagyut.

Nora!
Does your husband speak Hungarian? If he does how did he learn it? And where? Because by the time we move home my husband should speak a bit too. Right now it's only a few words. He understands more than what he can say. I think he picked up a few words since we had Bence because as I mentioned earlier I only speak Hungarian to him. When we are home and everybody speaks Hungarian around him, he learns a lot there.
Where did you meet your husband? And why are you guys gonna move to the States?
No, it wasn't easy to find a job. So far since I've been here I had two jobs. One was at a car auction (I was there for a year) the other is the one I have now. (3.5 yrs) Both jobs I found through friends.
The daycares could be different in the States I don't know. But they are like what I said here.
Well Bence is getting fussy so we'll go. See you later!

Agi

Dear Ági,
Yes my parents live there. And maybe you know that Juca (I think you know her) lived in Erdõtelek, what is a little village next to Kál.
Emese is crying - I have to go
Zsóka

Hello,
what a great idea! Zsoka, congratulations!
I'm a teacher of English, but sometimes I feel like a beginner... I haven't spoken English for two years by now, my grammar is getting poorer and poorer. I had some private students for a while, but it was extremely difficult to organize the lessons. ( It's simply impossible to get a baby-sitter here, sometimes my husband looked after my daughter, but he's a bit "workaholic", he didn't have time for it- just try to imagine, once I had to breastfeed my baby during the lesson, it was a rather interesting situation).
So I think I'll be a visitor of this topic very often, and forgive me for my mistakes.

Eva

Hello Eva,
I use to make great topics only
Actually, I have missed you but I remember that you are English teacher... But now you are here .
So, another workaholic husband here... I thought that my husband is that only...
Do you realise that men always go away from babanet? They come and go. They have never became "big old of babanet".


Here are some links: (I hope they wont be competition for babanet )
http://www.parentsplace.com
http://www.babycenter.com
http://health.netscape.com/health/pregnancy/main.tmpl

It's pretty late now, I have to go to bed...
later
Zsóka

Hi everybody,

Welcome Eva. I didn't know that you are an English teaher even though I've been around the babanet since day one and I usually read everything.
I want to complete my original idea and become an English teacher when we move back to Hungary. Where did you do your degree? I will probably do it at Szombathely becasuse that will be the closest to Sopron.
I have to go now. See you all later.

Agi

Hello Everyone,
so again I am "late" in responding, and I admit it is a little bit awkward for me now to be reading all your remarks and not having been able to reply immediately... I must get internet for home soon I guess?
ÁGI I am sorry things are not so good for you in Canada. Why did you choose to return to H. just at the time when your son goes to school? Why not earlier? Will you have friends in Sopron? May I ask you what age you are? I hope you will be able to do university then.
No actually I never even considered returning to Hungary from UK! I lived there 5 yrs, returned once for 2 wks somewhere in the middle, and near the end I moved back only due to visa problems. I mean, I would have been able to get my visa, but I found all the hassle around the procedure just too hard to endure. I had to make real efforts to persuade myself and find at least one good reason for returning. I had by then not many friends back here either. It was really hard.
I suppose I went to UK in order to experience something different, I have always been thinking in a rather cosmopolitan way. I mean, I never bothered where I live etc. I never had that many friends in UK, but just enough to survive. Even until now, my very best 2 friends are from my UK time. Strange isn't it? Yes and I did know some people there who helped me find work etc.
Ági this kind of thing like setting up a daycare thing in your own house, officially would not be quite possible over here (as far as I know) - I have a babysitter just for 3 hrs/wk, she has always wanted to do something like this - still, she has never got there, as she would need all sorts of papers from KÖJÁL etc to operate such a nursery in her own house...
Ági, will your husband be able to find such a job here where he will not need Hungarian right from the beginning? What does he do?
...by the way, how many hours is the time diff. between H. and C.? Sometimes I can be on the net at 6am but I guess it is still not enough?
NORA, I did receive one email in Hungarian(!)several days ago from a Nora, gather it was you?? (reply to the topic ANGOL??) I replied immediately, in English, but no reply yet? Pls can you again try to write to nimaat67@yahoo.com, thanks. If it does not work let me know and I will give another email address. Are you in US right now?
I am also happy to see so many of you on this topic, some new girls (at least new for me!) joining also.
EVA, you say you have not spoken E. for a good while - guess you are on maternity leave? I agree you can 'forget' English/any language... That is why we recently got UPC so I can watch some E-speaking programmes. However I am not using it that much. Rather, my husband keeps himself busy at Eurosport!! I should have thought...
I am again afraid this will be very long?!---
Zsóka, I have seen some earlier notes by you regarding films made by your husband - now I understand! Do tell us if there is anything on tv by him. I am interested! Does he go away often?
Whereabouts is this village Kál? - there is a Káli basin/medence near Lake Balaton, is it somewhere there??????
CIPOMAMA, it would be nice to hear more from you?
By the way, thanks again for compliments re. my daughter. As I said I have only seen pics of Zsóka/Agi family - has anyone has any more anywhere?
My daughter is ill at the moment, she has been suffering from slight attacks of croup (spelling?) but it is not so bad now - only you can hear it when she is coughing/breathing.
I AM SORRY I have got to be so loooong every time I write, I do feel guilty, but I have no other choice. I do enjoy the company of ALL OF YOU, so it just makes me write.
Where are you two Dia's and Liesel I am missing you?
I hope one day we will do an English speaking Babanet meeting?...
See you later,
Katalin

Ági,
I have checked out the archives and seen your account on immigration etc... And maybe a surprise: do you keep in touch with Topánka Kriszta?? Have you found her friends in your town? I have seen her notes from earlier on, but she seems to have disappeared from that topic.
Imagine anyway, that I know her, she is actually my colleague, except that she is expecting her 2nd baby (Jan 2002?) and is at home now. But we don't particularly keep in touch...
Until I am back, see you all,
K.

Hi guys,

Well I'm here again, it's only 6:30 am here right now, Bence went back to sleep after a short breast feeding and I decided to come and check out the new letters here.
Katalin, I can see the signs of babanet addiction on you too. Don't worry it happens to everybody.
It is amazing that you and Topanka Kriszta know each other. How small is this world?
Actually no, I'm not in touch with her or with her friend here. At the beginning of this year I went home to Sopron for a few months and I was the one who didn't respond to her last e-mail when I got back here. I never phoned her friend, it didn't feel right to just phone and start telling to a stranger that "I found someone online who knows you, so let's be friends" tipe thing. So I guess it's partially my fault why I don't have many friends here. I do have lots at home though. Even though I only moved to Canada 5.5 years ago.
I'll quickly answer some of your questions because it sounds like Bence is waking up.
The time difference is 8 hours between H and C. We are 8 hours behind. So when it's 6:00 am at home it's 10:00 pm the day before here. So I guess you just have to get the net at home
I'm gonna be 29 in June (and you?)and the reason why we'll move home by the time Bence is in school and not earlier is because my husband needs some time to be better in Hungarian, we want to wait until Hungary is part of the EU, and also we need to save some money. My husband runs a home building contracting company and we are thinking maybe he could do this at home too. (To build this tipe of housing -wood construction- at home. They can put up 4 houses a month so it's a really fast one or at least much faster than the brick ones.)
Ok, my child is calling me.
Talk to you later!

Agi

Ok, it seems like he went back to sleep so I can finish answering your questions Katalin.
I wouldn't want to run a dayhome in Hungary but I'm sure it is much harder to do so than here. Here you don't need any licences, any kind of courses (not even first aid!)and nobody is checking out anything in your home to make sure it is ok to have other children there all day long. This is why I didn't even consider to put Bence into one.
I was gonna ask you about your years in England if you don't mind. Was it impossible to get another visa and go back? Just because here it's really hard to get a work visa initialy but once you have it and you have an employer is't pretty easy to extend it. And if you lived in the country for a cretain amount of time (way less than 5 years) than you can automatically apply for landed immigrant status. That's what I have right now but I will apply for the Canadian citizenship beause I don't have to give up my Hungarian, I can be dual.
How long ago did you move back to Hungary? Are you considering moving to England again with your family? Didn't you miss your family (not your child but your parents etc.) when you lived there?
Now I really need to go. Bye for now!

Agi

Hi you all,

Nora,
When are you planning to move to Texas? Don't worry about the daycare in the U.S., it is much better than the Canadian system. (It might be slightly more expensive as well though) I live in California (I used the signiture "Gabi" before), and there is a very strict Federal law that regulates childcare. One licensed caregiver can have only 2 or 3 little ones (up until toddler age) under his/her supervision. THe Americans are VERY baby-friendly and they protect children to the point of insanity. So, again, please do not worry about it.

Katalin,
Thank you for your interest in me. In short: as I mentioned above, I've lived in California (Los Angeles) for over 10 years now. Nevertheless I'm plannig to move back to Hungary in the near future. I miss my parents, the country and our culture......

Agi,
We have talked (corresponded)before and I am happy that we have the opportunity to do so again.

Everyone! Take care.....
Cipomama

Cipomama,

I'm sorry about this but when did we correspond before? And where? In e-mails or through the babanet? (I can't recall e-mailing to you. I hope I'm not going nuts )
Yes, your reasons of moving home are the same as mine. What do you mean by near future?
I have to go because Bence wants to type as well.
Bye for now!

Agi

Hello girls,
It was a great day for me! I'm going to do a part time job from February.
It is a kind of job, I like doing very much, I'm going to work at a "muvelodesi haz"(I don't know an English word for it). I have to organize programmes, especially for babies and mothers.
And what's more important, I don't have to take my daughter to a kindergarten, I can take her with me.
It is a great thing for me, really. Because of financial reasons, to tell the truth. My husband works as a biologist, you can imagine his salary... And we would like to have a house of our own, now we live in a flat of the institute where my husband works. A few months ago I thought that it would be impossible to get a job that suits me,as I realized, here in Hungary employers doesn't like to work with mothers who have children...
So, I'm going to work, I hope it will be interesting, and I will have time to do everything around the house as well.
Bye for now!
Eva

Hi everyone!

May I join you?

Zsóka, I think it was such a great idea to open this topic. I've been teaching English for 13 years but lately I only had one student: my own son. Now that was terrible. I mean teaching my own child. He always looked for excuses instead of studying.

It is a good chance for me to practise my English even though I regularly speak English to my husband, and read and write in E. on an everyday basis. But I always try to avoid using Past Perfect, so feel free to correct me if necessary.

Katalin, you said that you lived at Göd. A friend of mine lives there, too -actually at Felso-Göd- in Hajnal utca. Do you by any chance live at that area?

I cannot promise to come very often but I'll try to keep up with you!

Bye
Iboly

Hello everybody,
My husband will go back next Sunday, so I am happyyyyyyyyy And partly I am so sad - he wants to go to an expedition in January . One of his friend who is a pilot, wants to fly to Australia with a Cessna. They want to make a film about this expedition, and Zoli would be the cameraman. And don't want him to go - it's pretty dangerous. They would fly over Pakistan, India - I think there they would shot first then ask you what's your name... And a Cessna is so fragile, so tiny...

Katalin, Kál is NOT in the Káli-basin, but in Heves megye. Near Mezõkövesd.

Now I have to go to write another e-mail for/to my husband
later
Zsóka

Hello,

Eva, this opportunity sounds great! How did you find it?

Zsoka, I'd feel the same way about this trip. I think it's insane to fly over Pakistan and India nowadays. Try to talk him out of it. I know it's his bread and butter but still. (Sorry if I was too personal. Of course it's none of my business)

Iboly, welcome! How come you use English with your husband? Is he not Hungarian?

By for now!

Agi

Hello,
it's me again - I saw the other new messages.

And what I forgot: Eva, CONGRATULATIONS!!!! It sounds so perfect job for a mother of a little. I would like to go there, it sounds so good. But Tihany is so far...

Ibolyyyyyyyyyyyy!
I wrote some mesaages to you in the Túl az elsõ napokon topic, but you haven't reply/answer - (which is the better word here?). You, your husban use to read the magazin Földgömb? And there is a new magazin of this editor, the title is Mount Everest, I think. This is for you ! I use to think of you very much since the little meeting of babanet in Szentendre. It was so good to talk with you.

Ági,
it's O.K. I mean, that your remark about my husband's work. And yes, you are right. This job is not a job only, this is his life - as we use to tell it in Hungarian. And of course this job is "his bread and butter". And, actually, I knew what I undertake when I got married to him, and I knew what involve with - being alone for long months with the children and the permanent fear that he goes so dangerous places and situations... But egy dolog tudni és más dolog benne lenni, átélni (sorry for the Hungarian but it's too difficult for me to wrtie in English).
OK, I am soory for myself enough, , I should sleep so now I go
later
Zsóka

Hello Ladies
I am indeed getting addicted to this site, Ági you are right... this is a good addiction though?
It is amazing to get to know you all, to hear all these different stories ...
IBOLY, I will find out where that Hajnal u. is, but I also live in Felsõ-Göd so it should not be far. What is the name of your friends, I might even know them (or not). Do you ever come there?
OH ZSÓKA, your husband is such an adventurous man. His plans with that Cessna!!!!! I guess though you can not really cure these kind of people from their desire to try all these unusual adventures?? Well could they not fly over a different area and not the countries you mentioned? It is far too dangerous indeed. OK this has been said already, I only want you to know that I do symphatise with your reaction...
ÁGI, re. the visa issue/UK: I had the type of visa there all along the 5 yrs that let me work at those particular employers, I had even their name stamped in my passport. Problem was, at least for me, that I had to apply for the new visa at least a month before the prev. one was to expire, - and I never got an answer for another 3 months - existing without my passport for all this time, and living in the uncertainty, literally drained my out and I decided it all was not worth all the anxiety... So I gave up...and returned home to my original job as a nurse, which I quickly gave up due to diff. reasons. You see, while I was abroad I was in a good company, lived better than perhaps ever before, was able to travel a bit, and also I am rather an independent mind - adventurous too, so it was not that difficult to be away THAT TIME. Also, my father had a small daughter from a 2nd marriage, he was very occupied with himself, and somehow and very sadly in a way, I never had those strong and warm ties w. my family. This is the story in brief. I am 34 otherwise. Now I understand why you want to wait with returning to H.
CIPOMAMA, 10 yrs is a lot in Cal - do you have any kids? You have any pics at Babanet? What do you do over there?
Would "cultural centre" be a good term for that mûvház thing?
I need to go now - by the way I am just learning to drive and tomorrow I am doing the routine test... (in Vác) - I hope I won't be too nervous! so I won't be here for a day, I hope you will provide me with a lot to read by Thursday - I will miss you all.

Hi everybody! I am sorry I did not have so much time to write these days.

Cipomama! It is not clear when we move, the original plan was to move to Texas (Houston) by the end of this year, but the September 11th tragedy delayed it to sometime in the first half of next year. I am happy to hear good news about the daycare system. My experience is the same about people there, they are very children oriented. How did you go to the US?

Agi! My husband and I met in Hungary, he came to work here. it is interesting, because he was supposed to go to work to Hong-Kong and he found out in the last minute, that it was some sort of mistake, and he will be transferred to Budapest instead. he was offered to stay in Houston but since he was all packed up he came. The rest of the story is not so interesting, we worked for the same firm and we met at social functions. I visited Texas before, so I guess to talk to me made him feel less homesick at the begining. That was six years ago. He took Hungarian lessons here for 4 years, and working in a Hungarian environment helped him a lot with his Hungarian. He basicly understands a lot, unfortunately he speaks less. The reason we move new is that we agreed when we got married, that we will try to spent an equal amount of time in each other's country. I think he did his fair share now.

Zsoka! I am really amazed by your husband's adventures! I understand your feelings about being alone for lond months. My husband travels around the region quite a bit, although he is not away for longer than 3-4 weeks at a time and his job is not even close to be as dangerouos - he is an auditor - but it is still hard to be alone. But that makes your life to be interesting, probably gives you a lot of adventures as well. There is a phrase (rather slang): hang in there!

I have to go. See you later!

Nora,
hello, and I am still curious what had happened to our emailing? Could you find out?
Nimaat