Cultural differences

It is not an exaggeration to say that people come from almost every part of the world to visit the early Christian late Roman Cemetery of Pécs. This place is often a witness to intercultural encounters and sometimes to misunderstandings resulting from cultural differences. I attended an intercultural communication course at the university and it makes me easier to recognize situations which can easily become troublesome.

          For instance I remember when a young guy came to visit and he barely spoke any language besides Chinese. At first I tried to explain the prices of different kinds of entrance tickets in English. He did not understand me. My second try could be to sign the numbers on my fingers but it came to my mind that Chinese have a very complex system (different from our) to do that. Instead I wrote down the amounts on a sheet of paper and showed it to him. He nodded gratefully. 

         On another occasion there was an Indian man in the group I guided in the visitor centre. For the first time it was strange that he was listening to me with his eyes closed. And then came a thought into my mind. I remembered that monocronic people concentrate on one thing at a time and they often close their eyes to exclude visuals that can distract attention. Another explanation can be, of course, that I was boring. But I hope it was the first.

         There were some cases when I was not careful enough. For instance I was in trouble when a Russian guy showed his student card to me and I just could not recognize it because of the Cyrillic letters. Another cautionary thing is evaluation. My collegue created a questionnaire for visitors to measure their satisfaction. They had to sign their opinion on a scale from 1 to 5. For us it was obvious that number 5 marks the best. But there are countries where it works the opposite way which made the final assessment a bit difficult.

A guest

Last month we had a special guest in the Cella Septichora - the artist of our temporary jewel and sculpture exhibition. Pál Kepenyes was born 84 years ago in Hungary. He left the country in 1956 and settled down in Mexico with his wife.  He became well-known on the American continent and his jewels have already been used as accessories in several Hollywood films. Meanwhile, we - Hungarians - could barely hear his name. But Pál Kepenyes did not forget Hungary, his friends and his mother tongue. He is proud of his origin and comes to Hungary very often because he really loves being here. He was glad that the mayor invited him and his works to Pécs. I found his works very impressive but what I liked more was the artist himself. He was very friendly and easy to get on with.  I was very surprised that he - unlike many emigrants - did not forget Hungarian. Moreover he taught the language to his wife. When the exhibition came to an end he even gave parting gifts to us. I got a silver coin with an image of the Virgin Guadalupe made by him. He said it would save me and bring luck in the future and I always carry it with me.

Unforgettable moments

I have already guided hundreds of people in the Cella Septichora Visitor Centre. I can not recollect every single face but there were some people I will never forget. First of all, there was an English lady who taught me the appropriate pronunciation of sarcophagus. I think it is a beautiful word but not easy to pronounce. At first I was in trouble with it. Then came this English lady who were so nice to whisper the proper pronunciation (sär-kŏf’ə-gəs) in my ear and I had to repeat it loudly. Since then it is my favourite English word. If I want to be precise I must note that it has Greek origin (sarkophagos) and its meaning is flesh-consuming stone.

Another person I clearly remember was a French lady. She participated in an international conference in Pécs. The weather was unfriendly: cloudy, cold and foggy. A bit later a heavy rain began falling and this poor lady realized that she had left her raincoat in the hotel. She asked me whether we sell umbrellas. We did not. But she was lucky because I found one unclaimed. She wanted to pay for it but, of course, I did not accept the money. She was very grateful and she wanted to express it somehow. Finally, she presented a badge to me and fixed it on my coat. Before she left she told me that the capital letter "A" stands for ambassador.

Sweet memory

I clearly remember my first group in the Cella Septichora Visitor Centre. One day my colleague asked me whether I could undertake a guide in English for a Finnish group. As a beginner I hardly knew the Hungarian version of the text and it was a surprise that I would debut in English. I spent the whole day with preparation and when the big day came I was terribly anxious. My hands and voice were shaking. But my goup was so friendly, supportive and inquiring that it gave me strength. At the end of the visit they applauded and gave me Finnish souvenirs. I ate the candies and chocolate right after they left but I still keep the fridge magnet and every time I have a look upon it my lips turn to a smile.

Cella Septichora

Cella Septichora

Sarcophagus

I would like to introduce a place which has a very important role in my life. It is my work place, the Cella Septichora Visitor Centre, which has been my second home for a while. Actually, it is a cemetery and many people find it weird to work there. There are people who find it rather dangerous and frightening (probably because of the ghosts). For me it doesn't mean desolation and death even if I feel the spirit of the place every day. Quite the opposite: this cemetery is full of life and people. As a part of our World Heritage the late Roman early Christian Cemetery of Pécs/Sopianae is a popular destination for both Hungarian and foreign tourists. This unique subterranean world provides not only unforgettable experiences to the visitors but also place for weddings, cultural events, international conferences and exhibitions.  It's like a time travel back to the Roman Ages amongst the concrete walls of the visitor centre: the 1600-year-old buildings often host modern pieces of art. Among others Mexican jewels, Croatian sculptures, Hungarian felt objects, Gambian photographs and Italian mosaics contributed to the establishment of an intercultural environment. I think the citizens of Pécs can be proud of this beautiful underground complex situated in the heart of the city.

Hi!

This is my new blog. The word "new" indicates that an older blog must have existed. To be honest, I just didn't want to continue writing that old one. It was created four years ago and last updated about three years ago. Many things happened to me and very many things changed in my life since than so I just could not continue with it. I wanted to begin with a clean sheet of paper. A paper which needs to be filled with ideas worth sharing, feelings worth living for and sweet memories worth remembering. I hope it will work.