Generation Expat

Pan-European Picnic Revisited

Dear Friends,

May 1st 2004 Amsterdam-based European Easterners and other internationalists will celebrate the fact that the EU will join Hungary and other some other funny states. If you happen to be in Amsterdam around that date - for Queens Day April 30th for instance - you're very welcome to our imitation Pan-European Picnic in the Vondelpark. Here's the text of the local invitation:

Dear Friends,

Many of us can still remember beautiful May 1st days, when we celebrated above all that May 1st was a socialist holiday.
May 1st 2004 will forever mark the end of this era, as this is the day the European Union will join much of the rest of Europe.

Inspired by the 1989 Pan-European picnic (Augustus 19th 1989, Sopronpuszta, Hungary, http://www.sopron.hu/paneu-piknik) that first lifted the Iron Curtain, we decided to celebrate this event with another picnic. Everybody who feels like celebrating with us is very welcome.

In order to preserve something of our national identities it would be nice if you could bring food or drinks related to your country. We will at least have some palinka from Hungary, becherowka from the Czech Republic, probably some wodka and some capitalist bourgeois champagne and wine. Szalami, strapacka, burek, okurky, kohuke, knedliky and other sophisticated cuisine will be offered. But of course anything from the Dutch, Italian, Swedish, Macedon or Serbian regions is also very welcome.

The picnic will be disturbed by football matches between old, new and future Member States. If you feel like participating let us know.

We will meet at 4 o'clock on Saturday 1 May on the corner of the Overtoom and Kattenlaan. If you want to come later give one of us a call and someone will come and meet you.
Should the weather be bad the party (probably not the football match) will take place in Retiefstraat 3 II (Kati's place). In this case further information will follow.

We hope to see you on May 1st !!!

Please let the Pan-European Community if you come either by e-mail or phone.

Jannes Hartkamp
+31 6 41765000

Rudas, This Saturday

Fellow Ottomans, this Saturday the bathing ritual will be once again observed. Plus a lavish lunch at Tabani Kakacs, to which wives, girlfriends and others will be welcome. Bath time: meet in the lobby 11:30-ish. Lunch, 1:30-ish.

Budapest Szilveszter Parties Update

So, we have not one but two parties for New Year's Eve, which is why it's always so much fun to come back to Budapest this time of year. Ian (Mac Daddy) Macdonald is hosting one, and so is Isaac ("the Isreali guy"). Isaac also had a party when we were back in town three years ago that was amazing -- huge, awesome apartment on Andrassy ut, just the right mix of enough people to be fun but no too many to be deadly. Ian, meanwhile, in addition to being a crackerjack management consultant, is also a helluva DJ, with a huge collection of funk and a fear-inducing sound system.

Ian, being a former BpWeeker and close friend to many in our crowd, will probably be the choice party host for many of this tribe, at least to start things off. Go there to find the likes of LeBor, Condon, Nadler, Vlada & Vesna and others.

I don't at this hour (the evening of the 30th) know Ian's address, though I'm not inclined to post it to this site in any event, for obvious reasons of privacy. You can, however, call any of the above-named folks or Adrienne on her Budapest cell phone sometime during the afternoon of the 31st for directions to both parties: 06-20 415-4411.

Also, Steve Carlson and I will be observing a Budapest tradition of going in the afternoon of the 31st to the Kincsem horseracing track, if anyone would like to join (call Adrienne's number, above, before 1pm or so).

Playlist in Search of a Party

I come packing boogie:

Rapper's Delight – Sugar Hill Gang
Play That Funky Music White Boy – Wild Cherry
Walk This Way – Run DMC
Whoop! There It Is – Tag Team
Boogie Shoes – K.C. and the Sunshine Band
YMCA – Village People
Stayin' Alive – Bee Gees
Super Freak – Rick James
You Really Got Me – The Kinks
Your Mamma Don't Dance – Poison
Wild Thing – The Troggs
Oh Carolina – Shaggy
Do the Dog – The Specials
Sabotage – The Beastie Boys
Without Me – Eminem
New Year's Day – U2
La Bamba – Richie Valens
Tequila – The Champs
I Like It Like That – Tito Nieves
Time Warp – Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Message – Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five
My Sharona – The Knack
Lola – The Kinks
Ballroom Blitz – Sweet
I Will Survive – Cake
Oye Como Va – Celia Cruz
Samba de Janiero – Carrilo
Track 6 – [Dunno]
Get Ready for This – 2 Unlimited
Things That Make You Go Hmmm – C&C Music Factory
Everybody Have Fun Tonight – Wang Chung
Funky Cold Medina – Tone Loc
U Can't Touch This – M.C. Hammer
Hip Hop Hooray – Naughty by Nature
Jump Around – House of Pain
Good Vibrations – Beach Boys
Just a Gigolo – Louis Prima
Peter Gunn Theme – The Blues Brothers
Peter Gunn Theme – The Art of Noise
Stuff Like That – Ray Charles, Quincy Jones, et al
I've Committed Murder – Macy Gray
Respect – Aretha Franklin
Big Time Sensuality – Björk
The Ghetto – Donny Hathaway
Ami Wa Wa – Gypsy Kings
Boom! Shake the Room – DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince
Take California – Propellerheads
Numb – U2
2wicky – Hooverphonic
Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf) – Sly & the Family Stone
Take the Money and Run – Steve Miller Band
Superstition – Stevie Wonder
Soul Power – Maceo Parker
Tres Amigos – United Future Organization
Buzz Saw – The Turtles
Everything Goes – The Cramps
Why Did You Do It? – Stretch
Flashlight – Parliament
Cantaloop – US3
Smooth - Santana
Stuff Like That – Ray Charles, Quincy Jones, et al
Not Your Typical American - The Goats
Give It Up – Public Enemy
Add It Up – The Violent Femmes
Rock the Casbah – The Clash
Paperback Writer – The Beatles
Heard It Through the Grapevine – Marvin Gaye
Piece o' Peace – Spearhead
Secret – Madonna
Raisingson – Massive Attack
Lady Marmalade – LaBelle
Flying Saucer – United Future Organization
Cut Chemist Suite – Ozomatli
Too Funky – George Michael
If – Janet Jackson
Jungle Boogie – K.C. & the Sunshine Band
Connected – Stereo MCs
Bop Gun – Ice Cube
Pretty Fly (for a White Guy) – Offspring
Fancy Lady – Billy Preston
Money for Nothing – Dire Straights
Girls & Boys – Blur
You Know How We Do It – Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg
Lonely Blues – Mitch Moses' Acid Blues Project
Békaperspektíva – Jazz + Az
Kalashnikov – Boban Markovic
No Nose Job – Digital Underground
Black Jesus – Everlast
Been Caught Stealing – Jane's Addiction
Lapdance – N.E.R.D.
Smells Like Teen Sprit – Nirvana
Lady Killer – Lush
Why Didn't You Call Me? – Macy Gray

Please, find me a New Year's party with a lousy DJ and a lot of hungry dancers!

Another Party, Dec 29th, Denton Et Al

Nick Denton is organizing a party Attila Talos's wine bar and restaurant, Vörös és Fehér, on Monday, December 29th.

I have Nick's European cell phone, if anyone would like to reach him, but I'm not going to post it for the world here, so email me if you know him and want it.

Monday December 29th
8pm
Vörös és Fehér
On Andrássy út (just off Liszt Ferenc tér, in the direction of Deák tér, on the left side heading towards Deák).

Where Is the Best Budapest New Year's Party?

Rick E. Bruner and Adrienne Haspel are coming to Budapest for a visit, his first in two years! We'll be there from December 26th through January 4th. We're seeking a kick-ass New Year's party. If anyone has any ideas, please tell, either in the comments field (if it's destined to be a big publish bash) or via email to Rick if you'd rather not let everyone who can access Google know about it.

Budapest Week Reunion Party! January 2, Csiga Bar, 7pm

If you had anything to do with the late, great Budapest Week newspaper and you will be in Budapest on Jaunary 2, 2004, the place to be at 7pm is the Csiga Bar (address to come shortly).

Please spread the word!

Tom, Steve, anyone -- is there such a thing as a mapping utility for Budapest that would provide a map of where the Csiga is located? How about the address, anyway?

BRING YOUR PARTY SHOES!!!