{"id":2659,"date":"2020-04-17T10:26:07","date_gmt":"2020-04-17T08:26:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.paprikamolnar.hu\/english\/?p=2659"},"modified":"2020-04-17T10:28:09","modified_gmt":"2020-04-17T08:28:09","slug":"pesti-paprika-iv-this-is-budapest-calling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.paprikamolnar.hu\/english\/pesti-paprika-iv-this-is-budapest-calling\/","title":{"rendered":"Pesti paprika IV: This is Budapest calling!"},"content":{"rendered":"

As coronavirus is making us stay at home these days, we\u2019re relying more than ever on technology to keep in touch with work, family and friends. The Paprika Museum now picks a Hungarian cabaret scene that describes life in an apartment house in 1958 Budapest. Isn\u2019t it ironic where humour comes from? 1958 Budapest, when people and the country were in deep depression. This cabaret scene is taking us to the same apartment complex in Budapest we wrote about in  Home sweet home<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Pesti paprika on radio<\/h2>\n

In 1958 the Hungarian Radio broadcast a three-part cabaret series under the name Pesti paprika<\/a>. The cabaret scenes are sassy, witty and funny and they give a whole new meaning to the terms \u201cpaprika\u201d and \u201cspice\u201d.  According to the cabaret host, Pesti paprika is a lot older than Szegedi paprika, it is as old as Buda and Pest. It is rooted in asphalt.  It grows in apartment houses and offices<\/a>. On concrete floors of factories and in smoke-filled coffee houses. Pesti paprika is the toughest plant in the world. It flourishes in heat and frost. No fire, flood, earthquake or war can do any harm in it. It is like a jungle plant: it grows speedily and it spreads everywhere. Pesti paprika is very similar to Szegedi paprika as both are spicy and hot. They only differ in the way people use them. Paprika from Szeged is food-seasoning, whereas Paprika from Pest seasons LIFE itself. Pesti paprika is humour and spirit. Pesti Paprika Cabaret stories are brought to you by PaprikaMoln\u00e1r\u2019s Paprika Museum.<\/p>\n

This is Budapest calling! <\/strong><\/h2>\n

We’re in an apartment complex in the Pest part of Budapest, in 1958 when private telephones are a rare asset. In this particular apartment house only Mr Cukor has a telephone set. His neighbours \u2013 Mr Pasternak, Mrs Darabont and Mr Oberl\u00e4nder \u2013 are all lining up to make phone calls. The communications system, however, is not perfect and Mr Pasternak is trying in vain to call his mother-in-law in Buda from Pest…<\/p>\n

MR PASTERNAK: I\u2019m sorry, Mr Cukor, for hitting your phone, but it\u2019s driving me nuts\u2026 I\u2019ve been  trying to call my mother-in-law in Buda and I just can\u2019t. But I\u2019m gonna make this call no matter what!<\/p>\n

MR CUKOR: Do as you wish, Mr Pasternak, as if the phone was yours.<\/p>\n

MR PASTERNAK: Great! It\u2019s ringing. Hello, I\u2019m calling Grandma Mary… What? She\u2019s not there? So, who\u2019s speaking? Why do you pick up the phone when it\u2019s not for you?! (He hangs up angrily.)<\/em> I\u2019m sorry. (There\u2019s a knock on the door.)<\/em><\/p>\n

MR CUKOR: Yes, come on in.<\/p>\n

MRS DARABONT: (enters) <\/em>Hello, Mr Cukor. Can I make a long-distance phone call?<\/p>\n

MR PASTERNAK: (stands up and passes the phone to Mrs Darabont)<\/em> Here you are. I\u2019ll wait.<\/p>\n

MRS DARABONT: (sits down and dials):<\/em> Hello, this 3-8-4-3-7-6. I\u2019d like to place an emergency call to Paris 2-2-1-1-9. Yes, there\u2019s emergency. I know the charge is three times higher than for normal calls. Yes, I\u2019ll wait. (Hangs up.)<\/em> Mr Cukor, I\u2019ll pay for the call, of course, when you\u2019ve got the bill.<\/p>\n

MR CUKOR: Sure.<\/p>\n

MRS DARABONT: Hello, Lucy, is that you? This is Magda. Yes, I\u2019m fine. Well, the thing is I wanna emigrate, so I need an invitation letter from you. Can you please just send the letter quickly? Thank you and good-bye, dear. (Hangs up.)<\/em> Okay, I\u2019m done. Thank you, Mr Cukor, good-bye. (Leaves.)<\/em><\/p>\n

MR PASTERNAK: (Dials.)<\/em> The line\u2019s busy. (He\u2019s nervous.)<\/em><\/p>\n

MR CUKOR: Can you please stop chewing the telephone cable, Mr Pasternak? It won\u2019t help. (Knocking at the door.)<\/em> Yes, come one in!<\/p>\n

MR OBERL\u00e4NDER (enters):<\/em> Good morning. May I make a phone call, Mr Cukor? To London, only. I\u2019ll pay for it, of course. (Leans down to dial.)<\/em> Hello, this is 3-8-4-3-7-6 calling. I\u2019d like to make an immediate emergency call to London W-1-8-5-6. Thank you.<\/p>\n

MR CUKOR: Immediate? Emergency?<\/p>\n

MR OBERL\u00e4NDER: Yes, I know they charge is five times more than for normal calls but it\u2019s worth it. I needn\u2019t wait. (International signal\u2019s ringing.)<\/em> Hello, Laszlo! I\u2019m calling to tell you great news. Juliet has just had a baby boy this morning! Yes\u2026 He\u2019s very smart! (Short pause.<\/em>) How do I know the baby\u2019s so smart? Well, it was a hard delivery. You see he didn\u2019t wanna come to light! Good-bye to you. (Hangs up.)<\/em> Thank you very much. Good-bye, Mr Cukor and Mr Pasternak. (Leaves.)<\/em><\/p>\n

MR PASTERNAK: The purpose of hardships is to overcome them. (Dials.)<\/em> Hello, Miss, this is 3-8-4-3-7-6. Can you please put me through to New York 1-2-5-5-4-1-9? It\u2019s an immediate emergency call. I\u2019m ready to pay even ten times higher charge. (Hangs up.)<\/em><\/p>\n

MR CUKOR: What are you doing?<\/p>\n

MR PASTERNAK: Listen, I\u2019ve just solved our communications problem. (International signal\u2019s ringing.)<\/em> Hello, is this New York speaking? Mr Noodles? Hello, it\u2019s Pasternak speaking! Can you please place an immediate call to Budapest 5-6-5-1-1-9 and tell my mother-in-law that we have movie tickets for tonight!<\/p>\n

(Most names have been changed for easier reading and understanding.)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As coronavirus is making us stay at home these days, we\u2019re relying more than ever on technology to keep in touch with work, family and friends. The Paprika Museum now picks a Hungarian cabaret scene that describes life in an apartment house in 1958 Budapest. Isn\u2019t it ironic where humour comes from? 1958 Budapest, when…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2661,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[924,806,801],"tags":[907,16,886,948,262,911],"class_list":["post-2659","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-paprika-and-art","category-paprika-and-literature","category-paprika-history","tag-hungarian-paprika","tag-paprika","tag-paprika-history","tag-paprika-humour","tag-paprika-museum","tag-paprikamolnar","category-924","category-806","category-801","description-off"],"yoast_head":"\nPesti paprika IV: This is Budapest calling! - PaprikaMolnar<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Budapest Cabaret scenes from Pesti paprika, a Hungarian Radio cabaret series from 1958. 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