Expat on Tilos

As a young man just out of high school, Mo from Kenya saw an advertising in a magazine about Hungary while getting a shoe shine, so he got up and left, despite his grandma telling him "those white people will kill you". We discuss the road from electrical engineering to delivering 2 tons of coffee to Debrecen and how many points of failure a cup of coffee can have. 

Hope Reese from Long Island via Louisville comes on the show to talk about her research - and now book! - on the mass poisonings of Tiszazug that occured a century ago. We discuss rural poverty, futile divorces, the midwife gossip-network, freebasing flypaper and the role of the press in the scandal of the century!

We talk about England in peril, not leaving things in cars, reading letters from yourself translated to and from Russian and incarceration as transformative opportunity with our first ever guest to appear under a pseudonym - "Thomas" from the UK.  You can listen to his newly minted show, "Mirror in my cell" wherever you get your podcasts.

We discuss photography, rap music, mixtape dealing in 90's Tehran, the nature of war, being a bouncer as a 17 year old girl, softboy face tattoos, planned cities, and a crysis of masculinity with Kurdish guest Assalina from Milton Keynes via Tehran, Cyprus and London. Check out her work on instagram: @persian_in_budapest

Esther is a plantscape designer from Ukraine. We talk why parents are good for mental health and why you should have living things around you.

Roswitha is the founder of YON E Global . We discuss Femtech, women's health, sustainability and ethics in the era of online shopping and how a thriving business or a financially successful product may become a catalyst for social equity.  

Hadisha is a Kazakh independent model/wardrobe design stylist, we discuss being open and smiling at everyone and how that tends to work in this part of Europe, pretending to be someone you are not, eco-conscious fashion and grownups letting someone else dress them up for success. Find her work at  https://www.instagram.com/hadishacreative/

We talk dancing, competition vs. self-expression and hugging strangers with today's guest Cristhian from Colombia.

We talk growing up in Cyprus, military service, being a mature student and winning an American Football championship in the UK and why Budapest might be better than London to raise a family.

I met Mohsen (from Iran) playing football, but what is really interesting is his area of social study. On today's show we discuss his thesis: Algorithmic Power And The Politics Of Artificial Intelligence. The book mentioned (among others) on this episode is Kate Crawford's Atlas of AI

Denae (from the US) and Yago (from Brazil) are a music duo who, as they write: "combine to bring jazzy and soulful tunes to their adopted city of Budapest". We discuss musical foundations, finding musicians who show up, and showing up at the right time - but in the wrong place. Oh and they also play some sweet tunes!  You can follow them here and here .

Willie (from New York via Leányfalu) is a video creator, tour guide, teacher but first and foremost avid consumer of Hungarian culture and history.  We discuss his journey from the Anglosphere to the navel of Europe, interviewing Kőbánya youth about their socks, being a 9/11 kid, and why lines on the map don't really matter. You can find Willie on Instagram and Youtube , among other places.

Mark has a 50 year career in set decoration from photoshoots to music videos to movies. He shares his invaluable knowledge on how to lead a fun and fulfilling life.

Ines from France talks teaching Americans French, how we only notice UX design if it's bad and how are parents and grandparents use the internet.

Talking to AP journalist for the region and Hungary about why the "experimental" nature of governing is interesting to readers further away, and how the news agencies remain a cornerstone of factual reporting in a post-truth era.

Comedians Kitty and Rebecka discuss the non-translatable nature of jokes, gender specific humor (or even if that is a thing) and the unavoidable gut punch feeling of bombing on stage. 

Roos from Amsterdam is a journalist who writes for the Dutch papers Trouw and De Groene Amsterdammer. We discuss Dutch frugality vs. generosity, what is interesting about Hungary to Dutch people and information consumption in the modern age.

We talk career choices vs. self-expression and the fragmented nature of modern culture with doctor turned musician Ian from Ireland. You can follow him and his music at ianosullivanmusic

We discuss competitive cultures, why K-Pop or Squid Game is not a good conversation starter for a Korean, how mukbangs started and respectful but efficient public transport for the elderly.

We discuss living, playing music and getting stuck in traffic in one of the most densely populated places on Earth and how Budapest compares. Spoiler alert, he is leaving BP after 7 years, but not because he doesn't like it here.

As part of Tilos sustainability week, Mo from Shiraz talks building clay houses, growing up in suburban Iran and city vs. country living in Hungary.

Esteban returns once again to talk about making mushrooms sing and other artistic pursuits.

As luck would have it, John was hanging out a 15 minute bike ride away on the shores of Istria. We discuss being a hippy airman, Jimmy Carter installing solar panels on the White House, top-down managed hatred and why believing in you dreams isn't esoteric if you put in the work.

Christoph and Håkon join the soon to be renamed Expat show to discuss education as a means of mobility and saving the planet in this back-to-school special.

Discussing food with the pros and how not eating meat might save us all even if coffee needs to come from far away.