Hello! My name is András Őri.
In Hungary, family names come first and given names come second. So my family name is Őri – which literally means “guard.” Back in the Middle Ages, people with this name lived along Hungary’s western border and worked as sentries, guarding the frontier. The region is still called the Őrség today, and many towns carry the word Őri in their names. So, while Őri is not the rarest name, it’s also not something you come across every day. My given name, András, is simply the Hungarian version of Andrew. So if you ever want to address me, Andrew works just fine.
I was born in 1980 in Pécs, a city near Hungary’s southern border, but these days I live in Budapest, our capital. I only moved here in my twenties, chasing after the woman I loved at the time – who, I’m happy to report, is now my wife. That project worked out well, considering we now have two kids together.
Professionally, I’m a web developer working for a non-profit organization. Most of my time is spent building websites and web applications, and leading the organization’s development team. I didn’t exactly take the straight road into IT. At first, I wanted to be a history and literature teacher. Later, I imagined myself as a graphic designer. But through all of this, I kept writing – mostly terrible short stories, to be honest. My first real contact with the internet came when I wanted to unleash all my dubious paintings and writings on the world. For that, I needed a website. I wasn’t satisfied with what the “experts” around me built, so I started making my own. And at some point, that hobby turned into my career.
Still, the other interests never went away. I love writing, taking photos, and – most of all – criticizing things. Books, TV shows, politics, people. I’m very good at criticizing. In fact, according to the people I criticize, it’s the only thing I’m any good at. They may have a point.
After 27 years of ranting in Hungarian, I’ve decided to start speaking to the wider world as well. Don’t worry, I’ll turn the criticism down a notch here. Instead, I’d like to show people who don’t know Hungary well – or at all – what this place is really like. Because when someone criticizes their home, it’s usually because they love it and know it could be better. One of my biggest criticisms of Hungary is that the country presents itself to visitors in a very shallow way. With this magazine, I want to give travelers ideas and inspiration beyond paprika, goulash, and horse shows.
Because this is a wonderful country! A place where you can walk around, drink coffee, swim, and enjoy yourself without having to worry about venomous insects, hurricanes, or floods sweeping you away. Bears won’t attack you here (well, we’re starting to see a few signs of them, but still). You can pitch a tent in the hills, sleep under the stars, and you’ll be fine.
And it’s so worth stepping outside of Budapest! Yes, our capital is beautiful – but the rest of Hungary is just as interesting. Our mountains are scenic, even if not very tall. You can paddle down our rivers, soak up the sun on our beaches, and if you’re not earning Hungarian wages, you’ll find it’s all very affordable.
That’s what this magazine is about. I’ll try to keep the content seasonal and thematic, though sometimes my work keeps me busy. But don’t worry – I’m enough of a graphomaniac to always find time to write something here.
So, if there’s a question you’d like me to answer, a topic you’d like me to write about, or if you just want to have a beer with me when you’re in town, feel free to reach out through the contact options on this site.
I’m glad you’re here – and I hope you’ll come back to Beyond Paprika regularly!