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To-Do List for moving abroad to Kecskemét, Hungary for First-Time Parents Part 2

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I wrote both entries for “To-Do List for moving abroad to Kecskemét, Hungary for First-Time Parents” in September last year. This way overdue blog still seems relevant and Part 2 concludes this segment. Hope this helps!

Accommodation

If you’re travelling with wife and kids in tow, it might be better if you rent a house or apartment in town instead of trying for the institute’s hostels. This not only affords you and your significant other privacy (common baths in the basement of the institute with separation between the sexes of course) but also the necessary space when needing to discipline naughty, crying children. If you’re worried about getting lost, DON’T! Kecskemét is a very easy town to navigate compared with Beijing or New York.

It would be wise to write in to the institute’s administrator Dr Laura Kéri (affectionately known as Zita) early, state clearly your needs and allow her at least a month or more to ask around and find suitable accommodations based on your requests. A lot of work is being covered at KI with the lean staffing so do be understanding and patient if you come from a super duper fast paced city like Singapore.

Transport
Annica and I managed to get ourselves here with 3 check-in luggages (2X20kg, 1X15kg bag) and 3 carry-on bags (1 samsonite of baby supplies in overhead compartment, 1 haversack (my videocam, laptops, compositions etc.), 1 diaper bag (baby stuff), wife’s Burberry handbag not counted). It will be worthwhile to arrange for private transport from Budapest Airport to Kecskemét. Don’t try to bring more… chances are, a normal 4 seater sedan will pick you up instead of a van or container truck. The journey will take c.a. 1 hour so empty your bladders before boarding for an uninterrupted ride even though there will be restrooms along the way.

Amenities
Unlike Singapore where many convenience stores and food places are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, it would seem that Kecskemét is big on proper rest and family time on weekends. Most shops close by midday on Saturdays and the town centre on Sundays is close to deserted. Fortunately, there is a 4-storey Malom shopping centre where you can get Springfield, Espirit clothes, stock up on baby supplies, catch a movie. A pharmacy and supermarket can be found in the basement. There’s even a casino and bowling alley in this shopping centre. Wow!

People
The people are here just unbelievably friendly and patient here. In Kecskemét, I am still amazed and getting used to having cars patiently wait for jaywalking pedestrians with strollers instead of having them attempting to mow me down like back home. Hurray for civilised drivers of Kecskemét!

If you’re looking for KI and needing to ask for directions from the pretty Hungarian ladies on the street, say:

Hol van Kodály Intézet? (Where is the Kodaly Institute?)
Hol(st) Vaughan Kodály Inteyzet

Mobile Phones & Internet
Residents Card, you will need, alongside chopped photos

Weather
Late summer
Temperature 19-30+
Moisturise
Hydrate
Sunblock for ladies!

To-Do List for moving abroad to Kecskemét, Hungary for First-Time Parents Part 1

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Studying at the Zoltán Kodály Pedagogical Institute of Music is a beautiful dream come true. It can also potentially be a logistical and emotional nightmare for first-time parents like Annica and I who are chugging along our 14-month baby Athena along for the ride.

Here are some quick ideas to help future students at the Institute who are coming with families feel more at ease.

DISCLAIMER: Information in this blogpost are merely personal experiences and suggestions – governmental procedures & requirements can vary from place to place.

ADMINISTRATION AT HOME

RESIDENCE PERMITS
The most painful process of all. Please do check the requirements of applying for residence permit for ‘studies’ (for yourself) and ‘family reunification’ (for accompanying families) with the Hungarian Consulate in or near your country. Note that the consulates may not necessarily operate by the standard office hours in your country and may have a very specific opening times for the public. Some generic advice:

  1. Email and CALL if you don’t receive a reply within corporation standards of 72hrs. Calling will save you truckloads of emails or wasted trips.
  2. State your purpose and needs clearly.
  3. Ask for the name of the person you’re speaking to and follow up with emails to necessary persons for record keeping.

The following list are just suggestions… please use it in consultation with the consulate from your country:

  • Air ticket booking (they seem to want to know your return flight so that your visa ends on the day you fly home).
  • Hungarian Accommodation Address (just say you’re staying at the KI, might save you a lot of trouble).
  • Your marriage certificate and baby’s birth certificate.
  • Admission letter, certification you’re staying @ KI or anything your consulate demands.
  • Passports
  • Health Insurance (probably need guarantee that you’re able to pay for any hospitalisation fees)
  • Bring lots of Euros/Money for admin payments.
  • Passport size photos

BRING ALONG ORIGINAL COPIES OF DOCUMENTS but also prepare a stack of photocopies of all originals for good measure.

SAVE A COPY OF ALL CORRESPONDENCE that transpire between you and the consulate/KI/your Hungarian landlord. These came in handy when the local consulate asked for ‘a document from the Kodaly Institute or the place where you will be put up that they have no objection/and or/are aware that your family will be staying with you during the course of your studies in Budapest (sic.)’. With my usual ruthless administrative efficiency, I simply cut and paste the truckload of emails and happily clicked ‘send’.

BRING MONEY. I was asked to get a certified true copy of my marriage certificate and baby’s birth certificate from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (S$10 for a chop on EACH photocopy…), then pay 120 Euros for ‘translation (95 euros) and administrative (25 euros) services rendered’ for Hungarian versions of the certificates (I suspect this one’s not necessary as we didn’t need it at all when filing for residence papers in Hungary… but well…). This is on top of the 60 Euros for each application I sent in (myself, wife and 1-year old Athena so that’s 180 Euros in total…). By the way, all these transactions were paid for in EURO and not Singapore dollar. I think it is cheaper to do the visa in Hungary but you might get into trouble with the airlines (a friend at the institute ran into huge, unreasonable problems with British Airways because of the lack of visa but that’s another story)…

CLEAR YOUR SCHEDULE and ensure you’re not travelling anywhere else while the consulate is holding on to your passports for visa application. Give 1-1.5 months for visa application in case of complications.

When it is all over, be glad that everything went as smoothly as it did – ultimately, any problem that money can solve is not a real problem.

Upon successful application, you should receive:

  • passports with visa in them (check visa validity dates, chops, passport no. details etc.etc.etc.)
  • passport size photos with the consulate chop and signature behind (bring these to Hungary and don’t lose them!! I think they’re needed for application for resident’s card in Hungary after which you will then be allowed to subscribe to internet at home for the missus in need of catching up with those Korean/Japanese dramas)

PACKING
If you own an apartment like Annica and I and are renting it out whilst away, I cannot possibly overemphasise the need to start packing as early as is possible, preferably AT LEAST a month ahead of time. If you’re a music nerd and bookworm like me with bookshelves and boxes chockfull of scores, textbooks, research blah blah blah, good luck! Get over the inertia by buying those solid Japanese Toyogo plastic boxes so that you can steal time in between work to pack.

TEANANTS
Start sourcing for tenants for your flat at 3 months before. If you have a real estate agent in the family like us, good for you. If not, it might be wise to start shopping at 3-4 months before leaving for a suitable realtor, give them and yourselves time for advertising and screening of potential tenants (to quote a funny friend, you wouldn’t want savages ‘raping’ your nicely renovated apartment).

BANKING, BILLS AND OTHER BULL
It is advisable that you make convert all hardcopy statements to e-statements at least 2 months in advance (so that there’s room for error rectification for the administratively handicapped companies), get security OTP tokens if cancelling or putting on hold your local number:

  • Credit cards
  • Banking statements
  • Mobile phone

I highly recommend using Citibank where I got fantastic and efficient service and its outreach is truly global and worldwide (do check on google maps and/or Citibank websites for your Hungarian address and nearest ATM locations). Withdrawals from Citibank ATMs do not require admin fee (I think)… if you’re going to get ripped off either way by other banks that also use similar or worse exchange rates to capitalise on currency conversion, you might as well use Citibank and save the c.a. S$5 admin fee per withdrawal from an ATM.

If you have compulsory military conscription in your country like Singapore, do remember to apply for deferment from your military responsibilities and let them know of your impending studies. It would be really terrible to get charged in military court upon returning home just after a fun year of studying at KI.

If you freelance like me, keep harassment from the tax people to the minimum by faithfully doing up your tax things BEFORE flying off so that when the time comes for submission, you do not have to juggle balancing accounts, family and school work – it would be like managing 3 part-canons with yourself which one is potentially able to achieve by the end of the course I’m sure. Do let your government tax body know you’re going to be away and have them send the mails to your Power of Attorney (POA) and/or dependable relatives who can help you read mails and do the necessary.

Getting stressed and having loud discussions with your spouse during this very difficult time is perfectly normal especially even where very organised musicians are concerned. What is important is that communication channels remain open all the time and one retain composure and wisdom to not say anything insanely stupid that will lead to a costly divorce.

Amen.

Studying at the Kodaly Institute

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Decided to post this in response to some queries on what studying at the Kodaly Institute is like.

Disclaimer:
Do note that the following information is based purely personal perspectives of masters studies at the Kodaly Institute for the academic year of 2011-2012 and should not be taken as official information. Do note also that the Kodaly Institute is always reviewing and renewing itself and modifications are made based on the recommendations of previous batches of students, so course structure or programmes may see modifications from year to year. It would be best to check with official institute administrators/lecturers or with recent graduates or alumni for the latest information.

What is the music culture like in the institute and in Hungary?
There are guest performers at the institute, performances by lecturers and/or their choirs in Kecskemet, and sometimes, buses are arranged for performances in Budapest. Performances are generally interesting and of good quality. Big names perform at MUPA every so often as well (Singapore’s Esplanade equivalent). Students who are looking for a platform to perform will find plenty of opportunities for student performances (both formal and informal) that are held regularly in the institute as well.

What is the course like?
Depending on what degree or emphasis you chose, this varies from people to people.

It would be advisable to bring over a (scholarly) collection of folk music that is unique to your country – there is a folk music course requiring folk music (preferably from your own country) analysis. Below is an excerpt example of a folk music analysis.

Otherwise, you probably can get everything you need from the library and archives – an absolutely fabulous collection of choral scores, recordings, books and thesis of past students. Depending on who has studied at the institute, there might be compendiums of folk music from your country that you can find in the library. It would be advisable also to bring along materials that you think will be of use to your thesis topic. Try not to start on your thesis too late but at the same time, keep an open mind and be flexible to adjust it… inspiration can come to you after observations in the Kodaly Iskola or in Budapest!

There will be plenty of opportunity to observe music classes in the Kodály Iskola as part of Methodology classes. For our 2011-2012 batch of Masters students, we had the opportunity to observe sessions for students ranging from early childhood all the way up to university level. There will be a ‘buffet’ observation in the 1st semester so that we have an idea of what is out there and can decide on what we might need more of later in the 2nd semester is an extended 2 week stay in Budapest for the purpose of observations. Prepare some spare cash for co-renting an apartment in Budapest. If not, the other alternative is to catch the earliest trains from Kecskemét to Budapest (the MAV train journey normally takes c.a. 1hr 20min) to catch the observations. It could be nice to stay over as the 2nd semester observations coincide with the Spring Music Festival in Budapest so there are plenty of nice performances to catch (i.e. no last train back to Kecskemet… MAYBE there’ll be buses that still run after performances but I’m really not sure). Methodology lessons take up a significant bulk of the course work as well, empowering one with various philosophy, ideas and tools to undertake teaching effectively.

A significant bulk of one’s time is probably spent on musicianship training aka solfege lessons. These usually involve dictation, sing and play (i.e. accompanying of self on the piano), transposition of given music material into different keys, playing different chord progressions etc.etc.etc.

There are also lessons in conducting-choral singing (selected students may get to work with the institute’s ‘lab choir’), voice, piano , score reading, choral repertoire, Hungarian Music History  etc. There are also plenty of seminars, workshops and lectures by guest performers, musicologists and clinicians who add much spice to our lives.

There’s also the thesis to contend with. The final comprehensive exam is an exciting full day affair where Methodology, Solfege and Thesis defence will be done.

For more detailed information, I would strong recommend checking out the Kodaly Institute website.

What About Accommodations?
If you are the social sort who do not mind sharing kitchen cleaning duties (rosters are drawn up) and/or rooms with others, staying in the institute is good for you. The rooms are range from single, double, triple to quad-sharing. Each room comes with its own sink and mirror (I didn’t check all the rooms but I think that should be the case) and on the same level are the toilets. Showers can be taken in the basement and facilities are well-maintained. One of the biggest plus of staying in the institute is that all it takes is less than a minute to run upstairs if you ever forget to bring something to class. The cons are, if you are ‘sick’ for a day for whatever reason, it is kind of hard to be doing anything else because everyone knows (nice colleagues will take care of you).

If you are the sort that needs privacy, I would suggest that you stay outside of the school. Usually, this means it is more expensive and depending on the arrangement with your landlord, rent may or may not be inclusive of water, electricity and gas. Do note that heating during winter can be expensive and it seems normal (I could be wrong on this) that landlords pass on the gas increases to their tenants by increasing rent slightly during winter months when heating is switched on. Pianos can be rented from the school if your home does not already have one.

Communication
The Kodaly Institute faculty and administration that you would be in contact with speak excellent English so there is generally no problem in our safe, little bubble. Outside of the school, the locals tend not to speak English. Youngsters may speak some English or some other second language depending on their educational choices. The counter ladies at the vasútállomás (train station to Budapest) generally don’t speak English so it would be wise to attend Hungarian lessons provided by the Institute and at least be able to communicate what train tickets. The taking the MAV trains and its crazy ticketing system is an art in itself and probably deserves another blog post. Buying vegetables are pretty self-explanatory.

Transportation
EVERYTHING is within walking distance from the Institute. It is 20 min walk to the Kodaly Iskola (school where observation takes place). Most other important places (see my other blog posts: Important Places for Kecskemet Kodaly Institute Students) can be reached within 10 min walk. There is virtually no need to take public transport whilst studying in Kecskemet unless you’re wanting to go to Tesco (megamart) to buy cheap scanner-printers or other stuff.

If you’re wanting to explore other towns like Szeged or Budapest, the MAV trains are available. If you hold student cards (they will be assigned later in the semester), ticket prices are 50% for student discounts. A return ticket between Kecskemet & Budapest costs 2200HUF. If you buy Intercity (reserved seats with air-conditioning), that’s an additional 380HUF (with an additional ticket on top of the normal ticket you buy). If you buy the Intercity seats from the train conductors, they usually charge almost twice more than what you would get if you bought from the ticket counter. Do note that for holders of certain scholarships, you may not be allowed to purchase student price tickets.

Check that your ticket is correct!
Ferihegy (Airport) – Kecskemét (self explanatory, from where to where)
50% kedvezmény (50% discounted price)
Egy útra – one-way ticket.
1. kocsiosztály (first class carriage)
érvényes: 2012.06.27 – 2012.06.28 (validity date, if you buy a return ticket, check the validity date… usually they give c.a. 3-4 weeks of validity in case you decide to stay in Budapest for long)

I had a fantastic time studying at the Kodaly Institute. The quiet town of Kecskemet is a very special place. Staff & students alike are warm and friendly. Quality of instruction is top-notch. I highly recommend it to all who are serious about teaching & learning. Serious practicing musicians will find it a challenging and useful course as well. Tata. 🙂

Important Places for Kecskemet Kodaly Institute Students Part 3

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Welcome to the final installment of ‘Important Places for Kecskemet Kodaly Institute Students’!

Kodaly Memorial, Calvinist Church, Town Hall & Big Church
Exit institute, turn left. Walk towards the square. On your right is the beautiful Kodaly memorial and Calvinist church. Head towards the ‘street’ between the big yellow church and the town hall (the beautiful building with the most amazing set of carillon bells that play well-known melodies… if you pay attention in Hungarian Music History class, you might actually identify quite a few of those) 🙂

sam 3368
sam 3371
sam 3372

Tourist Information Centre
If this is your first time to Kecskemet, this place might be of some help. The Tourist Information Centre of Kecskemet can be found nestled in the corner between the town hall & big church. For other things, keep walking straight.

Hair-cut
I usually get my haircut in this building. The men’s on the ground floor. You can’t miss it when you walk straight.

Before crossing the road to the hairdresser’s, if you turn right, you should see Malom in the distance. (Scroll down further for details).

Community Centre
Walk straight towards Malom and you should see this building on your left. This is the community centre where you can sometimes catch performances or jazz bands in here. Folk dancing happens here as well regularly.

Malom, the Shopping Mall
Walk past the community centre and there is ‘Malom’, Kecskemet’s main shopping mall. On the top floor, you can get McDonald’s, Chinese food (expensive compared with Himalaya), pizza and various other fast foods on the top floor. Cinema is on the top floor while other shopping things include brands such as H&M, Promod, Springfield. Supermarket CBA is in the basement along with DM, a pharmacy chain that sells all your monthly necessities. If you needed to set up a Hungarian Bank account, OTP bank is also here. Money changer is on the first floor. Malom is small but it should suffice.

Kecskeméti Csárda, Best Hungarian Resturant Food
From here, we go on to one of Kecskemet’s finest restaurants Csárda. Before I forget, here are the details for reservations:

Kecskeméti Csárda Borház
www.kecskemeticsarda.hu
+36 76 488-686
Kecskemét Kölcsey utca 7.

From the entrance of Malom, turn left, walk straight, cross the road (BEWARE OF VEHICLES EXITING MALOM ON YOUR RIGHT!).

After crossing the road at the pedestrian crossing, turn left, walk along the house till the end, turn right into Kölcsey Ferenc Utca, walk till the end of the street and voila… Csarda!
I highly recommend the “Platter for Two”… which serves up a huge variety of different fatty meats, foie gras etc. But I think it can feed FIVE people (Typical Male Asian appetite which ain’t small)… so go with friends. I also highly recommend the Csarda in-house palinka. Sweeeeeet. 🙂

Fornetti
Let’s backtrack a little since there are a couple of interesting things In this area, there are also other things of note. Please refer to “Haircut” place, and walk straight from there. Go past Fornetti (another bakery!)

Alföld Áruház
You are now beside Alföld Áruház. This shopping mall is excellent if you need new appliances, sports shoes and clothes on 2nd floor.

Turn left and enter the mall. You should see on your left, Pingyin. You can buy lip balms and other medicine here:

Photocopying, if you dare
If you walk straight, a few more paces, on your right is a place where you can also do photocopying and colour printing. They can also do scanning for a fee. I don’t think it is particularly cheap, service is not necessarily fantastic after experiencing it (a friend of mine sent books to be scanned, cost a bomb, bad alignments, missing pages!!). But it is nonetheless an option if desperate. FYI.

Backtrack your way out of Alföld Áruház. Exit the building and turn left. In the first picture, there is a money changer right at the corner. They give a card for ‘regulars’ that offers ‘discounts’. I don’t use it very often since I just use the ATM for withdrawals. Anyways, walk straight past the circus (roundabout) and cross the road.

Red-Bricked Building
You should see this this red-bricked building

El Bandi, Tortilla Extraordinaire
On the left, there is an excellent tortilla shop. I highly recommend the ham and cheese (ask for the English menu if your Hungarian still needs work)

Univer Supermarket
Backtrack to ‘Red-Bricked’ Building, walk straight instead of turning left to El Bandi, and you’ll see this. Univer Supermarket is smaller than Spar but still dependable nonetheless. Walk on and on your left, there is my favourite lunch place, Dixie Chicken.

Dixie Chicken

Here, they sell one of the most humungous burgers, as well as ala carte items that are very tasty. I highly recommend it!

If you need Citibank, backtrack to Red-Brick Building and turn right to cross the road. You will see Palinka House.

One Euro Market
Turn left. Walk straight past Volksbank & One Euro Market. Do note, the One Euro Market is cheap but not necessarily good quailty. But you can certainly consider it if wanting to save money. 🙂

Citibank

One of the most interesting things I find about ATMs in Hungary is how you may need to swipe your credit card/ATM card at the door before you enter the ATM room. The ATM rooms are usually locked after office hours and the only way to get to the ATM is by activating this small lock opener. Swipe card and you’re in! I do believe this is an excellent security measure so the extra effort is probably worth it as it can get very quiet and deserted at night.

This concludes the trilogy posting of Important Places for Kecskemet Kodaly Students. The town is very conducive for studying (small, quiet) but there are many other nooks and corners waiting to be explored. The many fairs (like pasir malam in SG) in the town square also add excitement to this quiet town (like there’s a fantastic wine/palinka fair right now with FABULOUS bottles from excellent local vineyards).

This 3-part series is just an introduction to help first-time visitors to feel more welcomed & settled in. Hungarian is not a particularly common language in the world after all and mostly only youngsters speak (a smattering of) English. There are some young adults who learn Spanish while some of the older generation tend to speak German. Hope this blog has been useful for you! 😀