Name: João
Age: 22
Nationality: Brazilian
What made you come to Budapest?
I’m a university student from Minas Gerais state, in Brazil. I applied for an undergraduate scholarship that the Brazilian government grants students of different fields. I’m an architecture student currently attending classes at the Budapesti Műszaki és Gazdaságtudomány Egyetem – BME („Budapest University of Technology and Economics”).
How long are you here for?
I arrived in January and I’ll be here hopefully until August 2015. (The interview was made in June 2014)
Why Budapest?
Well, obviously I had to go somewhere with courses in a language I speak. As I know English, I had the possibility to pick any English-speaking country like Canada, the United States, Australia or England. However, Hungary was one of the few countries that provided courses in either Hungarian or English. Since I’m very interested in European architecture, and Hungary is in the heart of Europe, I decided to come to Budapest. Hungary has a great location in Europe, which makes traveling around Europe easier. Also, Budapest is considered one of the most amazing cities in the world.
What are your impressions of Budapest?
At first, I was like, what’s wrong with this language. It has really long words and weird vowels and consonants like gy, ty, ly, etc. The scholarship only offers a lousy 5-week Hungarian course, but even there I was defeated by phrases like „Kérem vigyázzanak, az ajtók zárodnak!” (Stand clear of the closing doors). The winter is ridiculously cold. I’ve never experienced -8 degrees Celsius in my life. However, I love the cold weather and I really enjoy a „forralt bor” (mulled wine). The cuisine is also a little different. In Brazil, we eat much more beef, but of course we also like pork and chicken, so Hungarian cuisine is no great shock after all. Additionally, living cost in the city is way cheaper than in Brazil. I mean stuff like clothing, restaurants, clubs and pubs (although a student movie ticket is more expensive than in Brazil). Finally, the public transportation in the city is flawless. Buses, trams, subways are super punctual and night buses and the trams 4 and 6 can save lives when the party is over.
What’s your impression of Hungarian boys?
Unlike in Brazil, which is a mixture of cultures and races, in Hungary people look much more alike. However, this does not mean that Hungarians are less beautiful. I think „magyar fiúk” (Hungarian guys) are super handsome and sexy.
How does our gay scene compare to what you have in Brazil?
The gay community is in a very peculiar position in Brazil. We are a Catholic country and the population is very religious, which makes them rather conservative. However, the country is incredibly big and the gay community grows by the minute, and with that, the acceptance of gay people is growing as well. I understand that the situation in Hungary is quite different and alarming. Gay people have fewer rights, the extreme right party has a very strong presence in the country’s politics, and its sympathizers are rather aggressive towards gay people. Gay nightlife is also different in Brazil, although I guess it also depends on where you live. In Budapest, I find things to do every day. However, the gay scene only starts from Thursday. Some friends of mine who live in either Debrecen, Miskolc or Pécs are living in total boredom and often travel to Budapest to catch at least some buzz. In Brazil, big cities have a non-stop nightlife, but small towns also suffer from the boredom syndrome.
Where was the craziest place you had sex in Budapest?
I met a guy in a club and he took me to this secret ruin near Margaret Bridge. It was both exciting and outrageous to have sex in the open air (laughs).
Have your ever suffered or felt any prejudice in Budapest?
Not me in particular, but some Brazilian friends of mine were attacked by a group of guys while returning home from a party. I’ve also heard stories about gay guys being kicked out from straight pubs for kissing other guys.
Author: Gabriel
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