Interview with [Boglarka Edouard]
Budapest, Hungary
Hungarian flag
Introduction
This interview looks at the story of Boglarka Edouard also known as Bogie who originally grew up in Budapest, Hungary. She is currently 47 years old and came over to America at the age of 18. Growing up in Hungary in the 1980’s under communist rule her and her family didn’t experience many issues during these times but Bogie’s mother still seeked change for their future. Her mother came to the U.S first and shortly after Bogie came over to visit but soon fell in love with the diversity and uplifting attitudes that connected the community she was in. It was then that she herself decided to make a big decision as her mother did and move to America. From her experience we can see the power of social ties, integration and opportunities of membership.
Methods
This interview took place over a zoom call and we were both able to find quiet spaces without distractions to be able to hear each other clearly. I heard of Bogie through a family friend that has known her for a while. At first I was a bit nervous due to the fact that I’ve never interviewed anyone before. Yet very quickly when I spoke to Bogie for the first time we both were able to talk for such a long time about what’s going on in both of our lives in general. I was able to learn and hear such an interesting story and also gain a new friend at the same time!
Social Ties
Starting off with Bogie’s mother who came to America first. We see that there wasn’t a main “push” factor that made her want to leave but more of a “pull” where there was more diversity and opportunities here. Her mom’s childhood best friend helped support this by providing a safe passage for her to be able to travel and have good resources as she first got here. “She met her childhood friend a few months before she made the decision and she told her that she would help her to get settled.” (Bogie). Once she was here she met other fellow Hungarians which probably helped provide even more comfort and allowed for each other to help form connections to different jobs etc. In class we see this as a form of migrant networks which are a set of interpersonal ties that connect people through reciprocal acts among friends and family. We see this once Bogie decides herself to move to the U.S that she’s able to find her first job here through her fellow Hungarians and even her future husband. “Someone who knew a Hungarian guy who was a veterinarian in Hungary and he was going through schooling here.” (Bogie). Even though her first job was in a place that was more run down she describes it still as a good first job opportunity here. Although her teacher himself didn’t speak Hungarian he was able to teach her more English which shows how social connections can be beneficial in not just an economic standpoint.
Integration
Next with our story we see how things shift to become different from being in Hungary in contrast to the U.S. One of the first things we spoke about was the education system differences. She describes the system over there during that time to be very “textbook based” meaning that there were no such things as hand on activities like experiments to help students understand the class content better. In class we talk about the influence of the government and what policies and structures they choose to regulate. As we see from Bogie’s experience “We could have our own opinion instead of what the textbook said, or the teachers.” This was a powerful thing for her when she came to America to be able to speak what she believes in or not. The school systems are reflective of the governments at hand and how at the time Hungary was under communist rule which meant that opinions were scarce and conformity was the norm. In contrast the U.S regulated more on freedom of speech and the ability to ask questions on things. Bogie also took ESL classes when she first came here and we learnt in class that they can help benefit communities to help them feel more comfortable engaging throughout society.
Bogie in a uniform that was required by Hungary to wear on occasions.
Next, we see how her experience in her job was different from Hungary to America. Bogie spoke about how much she loves animals, especially dogs. Which led her to become a dog groomer in Hungary. When she transitioned to the States she was eager to continue this passion of her’s which we both agreed that in Hungary seemed to take form as a type of artistic skill. Therefore, after she was able to find a job opening she quickly realized that people in her community wanted their dogs groomed very differently than how people wanted them groomed in Hungary. “It was completely different. Cause in Hungary, as I told you, it was more like an upscale kind of thing. In Budapest the people are very well, they wanted them groomed as they were going to a dog show.” (Bogie). In contrast here in America people wanted just the dog’s hair cut off for more efficiency such as the dog being able to see etc. After a while she decided to continue her passion for art by working as an assistant for another artist with helping and also learning different art forms.
When it comes to things such as social interaction and the norms embedded in them. Bogie describes when she first came to the U.S the amount of diversity but also how much happier people seemed to be. “It was just very depressing. Very gray people were always complaining, and here in America. People would ask “How are you?” and “How are you doing?” (Bogie). Which seemed more uplifting in contrast to how the interaction was in Hungary at that time. She realized with time though that people weren’t actually asking to know the real answer of how she is but of how it’s more just a norm of how people greet each other. “When they ask you, how are you? They don’t really want to know what’s bothering you. You know? Yeah. At first I started, well, I’m not so great, and then I realized that No, it’s just, I should just answer. Fine. And then let’s get on with our lives.” She said that in Hungary if people did ever ask how you were it would be a long conversation for about 30 minutes. This shows assimilation where she had to shift how interactions with people in Hungary were different here in the U.S and how through time she came to understand them and adapt to doing it herself. Therefore, also asking people how they are but not expecting them to go much further than saying that they’re “good”.
Membership
When talking about membership to the U.S Bogie described it as a more laid back process for her in contrast to other experiences that other people may have had. Her husband was a part of the military where she was able to eventually get a green card which was a long process but it wasn’t something she was super worried about. Due to her being able to work because she was given a form of ID that allowed her to work without any issues. We see in class how different groups of people have easier or harder times when applying for membership.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Bogie says that she is very happy to be a U.S citizen and that she enjoys living here. We wrapped up our interview by discussing her recent visits to Hungary and how she hasn’t been since the shutdown of 2020. Her mother has moved back to Hungary along with some other relatives that she still has over there. Yet she hopes to begin traveling more again soon. We also briefly spoke about her daughter who is a second generation immigrant which we’ve also learnt about in class. Her daughter knows how to speak Hungarian and has traveled with Bogie and her father to Hungary multiple times. In class we spoke about the significance of this and how it’s important to maintain parts of one’s culture and it’s super cool to see her daughter be able to do that. She also attended college and at a young age went to a private and public school that Bogie helped out with. Overall, we can see through parts of Bogie’s experience of coming to America the significance of social ties to help promote a foundation of growth. Also how integration into school systems with classes like ESL that help provide comfort levels to help individuals gain confidence with speaking English. Lastly, how social norms differ from place to place and how different groups access membership is sometimes a bit easier than others.
Bogie at her elementary school.
Interview Project
[00:00:00] Caroline: All right, so we’ll start off. So, I’m Caroline Lovis, and then you can go ahead and just state your name and like your age.
[00:00:07] Bogie: Okay. So, my name is Boglarka Edouard. But I use Bogie for short.
So much easier to you know, pronounce it. Yeah. And then 47 years old.
[00:00:23] Caroline: So, you grew up in Hungary? Yes, it. So why don’t we just start with like your background from when you were living, like over there. So, like what was your experience like being over there growing up and like what your family life was like?
[00:00:42] Bogie: Okay. So, I was born in 1975 in a smaller city, close to Budapest. And I moved to Budapest when I was around four years old, and I grew up in an area which would be more like Washington, DC for the United States. It was the government, it’s the center of the government. We had the ministry buildings and parliament.
It was, it is a very beautiful place to grow up in. I had; we had a good school system. It was nothing like here, though. The schools were back then, at least, I’m not sure how it is now, but back then it. Just textbooks. And that’s all that we, we didn’t have any fun, you know, fun things and circle times and, you know, all, all the fun things that the kids do these days.
And but the school system was very good, very strong education.
[00:01:57] Caroline: You said it was like more textbook like based?
[00:02:00] Bogie: Yes. It doesn’t matter what subject it was. Yeah. Chemistry only textbooks. No. You know they didn’t have any experiments; you know.
[00:02:16] Caroline: Like experiments? Okay. It’s very like reading, like based.
[00:02:19] Bogie: Just reading, memorizing, and just knowing things, not experiment with things. Yeah.
[00:02:31] Caroline: And then, so with your family, like over there, like how was your connections with like your family when you’re over there?
[00:02:39] Bogie: I grew up with a single mom. Mm-hmm. and I had an older sister from another father… So, it was kind of like a broken family, but I had a good childhood. My mom had to work all the time.
Mm-hmm… And I also should mention that it was a communist country. Hungary was a communist country back then, that but we did not experience any problem. Mostly because, yeah, mostly because my mom just went with the flow, you know? She didn’t cause any problems. So, the life for us wasn’t that bad at all.
[00:03:24] Caroline: Yeah. So did, was your mom originally, like from that area, did she move from somewhere beforehand, like to where you grew up?
[00:03:32] Bogie: She, yeah, she moved to Budapest in 1979 when I was four years old.
[00:03:42] Caroline: Okay. So, do you know like where she was from beforehand?
[00:03:46] Bogie: Yes. She was born in Kaposvar, which is south of Budapest.
She lived in, Dunaujvaros that’s the place where I was born. Mm-hmm… I think those, yeah, those areas.
[00:04:06] Caroline: So,
Like shifting from that, like. So, you said like your life there was good. So was there like a specific reason on why like to come over here? Like so there wasn’t like really like a push to like leave, but was it more of like something that was pulling you to come over here?
[00:04:21] Bogie: No. So the story of me coming here is that I was going to visit my mom for three weeks because my mom moved to California.
90, 91 and in 1994, I um, no 1993. I’m sorry. Two, two years later. In 1993, I was just going to visit her in California, see her for three weeks and go back to Hungary. I already had my plans. Mm-hmm. what to. After high school, you know, after graduating from high school, cause I, I, I was 18 mm-hmm. In 93 and yeah, I had no plan to stay.
I never pictured myself, I never dreamed of somehow it… It was completely out of the blue even for me. Then after two weeks me staying in California, I realized that I don’t wanna go back. I and the reason for it was because of the people. I stayed with the family who lived in Los Angeles. and I just loved the diversity of the people.
There were all kinds of people seemingly getting along really well. Mm-hmm. in hung in Hungary. We had only Hungarians in the, the communist times. Now if, if you would visit, you know Hungary, you would see lots of tourist. You would see some people immigrating to Hungary from different countries.
But back then, back then, when I lived in Hungary, we just had Hungarians, white people. And so being in, in Los Angeles. I just absolutely loved having the diversity and the people or just in Hungary, in back, in my time. It was just very depressing. Very gray people always complaining and, and here in America.
How are you? How you doing? It’s like, oh, so a bit more uplifting? Yes, a bit and uplifting. I just, yeah. So that’s the reason, honestly.
[00:07:14] Caroline: So, your mom You said like she came over first, like she came over by herself. Yes, she did. So did is that one of the reasons why she came over, like first was to kind of like see or.
[00:07:27] Bogie: She was at that point of her life and she wanted a change and a big change and few months. Yeah. A huge change. Yeah. She made a very brave decision to move to another country. She met her childhood friend a few months before she made the decision. And she told her that she would help her to get, you know, get settled.
[00:07:59] Caroline: And So she had like those social connections like here to help out? Yes. That’s nice. So, like, when you came over, you said you were like 18, like your first time. Yes. So, was it like easy to, like, traveling wise to like to get over here?
[00:08:17] Bogie: Oh, no., no. I didn’t, I didn’t know any English. I mean just very basic, yes, no, yeah, maybe the colors.
Mm-hmm., maybe I could count to 10 very basic, like a one-year-old level. Very basic English. So yeah, it wasn’t easy. My plane was from Budapest. It was supposed to go to Milan and from Milan to Los Angeles. Mm-hmm… That plane was canceled, and I ended up going to London from Budapest to London and from London to Los Angeles.
And. Although I asked the fly attendant in Budapest airport to have someone help me in London and I have to change, you know, plane, find my gate and all that. Yeah. Since it was actually, it was my first time to fly. So, it’s not just only fly to.
[00:09:30] Caroline: The language and everything.
[00:09:33] Bogie: Yeah. But it’s just the flying itself was new to me and airport anyway.
No one was waiting for me in London, so I just started to try, first I tried to figure out where to go. Mm-hmm. And then soon I realized that I had no idea. So, I just started to show my back then we had this paper tickets, you know, for the, for the plane. Yeah. That was printed out. And I started, just go and ask people if, if they knew which direction.
Asking people in Hungarian, of course. Mm-hmm., which no one understood. I wasn’t lucky enough to find the Hungarian.
[00:10:26] Caroline: So were they like willing to try to help or is it just so like busy that they were…
[00:10:31] Bogie: No, it seemed like that they were. Helpful, or at least some of them. Mm-hmm… I don’t remember having negative feelings, so I’m guessing they were, they either tell me that they had no idea, but most of ’em did, but it wasn’t negative.
Yeah. I ended up in one of those little carts, you know, they drive around in the airport. Yeah. Somehow, I was with someone who helped me to find someone who, yeah. And then I ended up at the gate and, but I couldn’t enjoy my accomplishment and because there were security people waiting for me at the gate with my luggage.
Oh, no. And I, I remember thinking to myself that I, I thought they told me that the luggage will go directly from one plant to another. What, what, what is my you know, luggage doing here? And of course, I did not understand anything. I just followed them to this room where they locked the door and opened my luggage, and they were looking for something.
Mm-hmm., I have no idea what they were looking for. Mm. And then after, well, they let me go and I was able to make my, my flight. Luckily.
[00:12:15] Caroline: Did, did it seem like they were doing that to other people, or do you think it seemed more of like directed towards you?
[00:12:22] Bogie: I’m not sure since I just got there and yeah.
[00:12:25] Caroline: Just kind of like booked it to the flight.
[00:12:25] Bogie: Yes. And then after I left the room basically, I was left on the plane. I’m not sure if it was I have no, I would love to know what it was about. Yeah. Some people, because. At that time there was some problem with Irish, well, don’t, don’t think include this one in the, in your work, but someone told me that maybe they thought that I was Irish.
Cause back then there was some problem and stuff. Yeah, I remember talking about that in class. Yeah. And since I had, I have read here, maybe they thought, but they knew what’s, they must have known my name and my luggage. I don’t know what, what why no idea. Yeah. But it’s in, but it, it didn’t really bother me.
I was 18, you know, 18-year old’s don’t really care. Yeah. I was happy that I made it to the plane.
[00:13:36] Caroline: Especially for your first flight, that’s pretty impressive.
[00:13:39] Bogie: Yeah, and of course they failed to notice my mom at the Budapest airport. They should have called my mom in time to let her know that I’m going to arrive with a different plane in a different time.
And but they didn’t, and she ended up waiting for me for hours at the airport and she didn’t know what’s going on, but I wasn’t coming. Mm-hmm… So, yeah, it, it was interesting.
[00:14:13] Caroline: So, when you first like got here you said that people. The diversity and everything was like the big thing that like attracted you.
So, like when you first kind of like came back to like settle in, was like that treatment still kind of the same or like as you stayed longer, was it like more difficult?
[00:14:31] Bogie: The last, the last few years have been, Eye opening to me.
[00:14:40] Caroline: So, when you, so like you, when you decided to come over to stay, like how old were you?
[00:14:46] Bogie: To the, the United States, you mean?
[00:14:49] Caroline: Yeah, like to like officially to stay.
[00:14:51] Bogie: 18, I stayed. I stayed. Okay. I stayed, I, I stayed over my welcoming. You know, when you get in to the US, they give you six months. Mm-hmm… Yeah, I overstay my state. I was one of those immigrants. Mm-hmm… Okay. I mean, illegally by overstay, the, you know, yeah.
[00:15:23] Caroline: Was it hard? Cause you said you graduated or technically like high school by then, so you didn’t have to like to go and through like public school or anything like that right?
[00:15:33] Bogie: I took the ESL classes you know, in the community college. Yeah. But yeah, I didn’t have to. Go to high school. So, you went to college?
I, later on first I took ESR classes and later on I took classes. I never received a diploma because it wasn’t enough. I, I couldn’t decide what I wanted, and then I ended up just, not pursuing because I had that we, later on we should talk about the work I’ve been doing. But yeah, the work I really needed that probably I, I, I would’ve needed, but I decided not to.
[00:16:27] Caroline: So, was school harder here than like over and Hungary?
[00:16:33] Bogie: No, it was so much more fun, lot more fun.
[00:16:36] Caroline: Not super textbook based?
[00:16:40] Bogie: Yeah, no. And the, you know, the professors made, first of all, they were lot more friendlier and they just made it more fun. That’s cool. Talk about the book. I remember one of the ESL class I took.
It was like the advanced level of ESL. Mm-hmm. And it was a, a literature class. It was still ESL, but we received credits for, for that class. Mm-hmm… It was just so much fun to talk about books that we read. Yeah. We could have our own opinion instead of the. Textbook said, or the teachers. Mm-hmm… So, yeah.
[00:17:30] Caroline: So before, cause one of my next questions is about work, but before the work question when it comes to like traditions or like values that people like in Hungary have, how do those different., you know, to Americans. Like, have you noticed that like Americans value certain things more or like less, or like, was any of it like shocking to you?
[00:17:52] Bogie: Anything shocking? I was thinking about this one and I forgot what I’m going to tell you, that it was weird at first. Mm-hmm… Oh, my goodness. Can, can we, can we revisit this question? Yeah. Or, or do you have to go one question by the cause? I remember that I’m, and I told this to someone that that was really weird for me.
Oh. First of all, when they ask you, how are you here? They don’t really want to know what’s bothering you. You know? Yeah. First time started, well, I’m not so great, and then I realized that No, it’s just, I should just answer. Fine. And then let’s, let’s get on with our lives.
[00:18:47] Caroline: It’s like a weird social like interaction norm.
[00:18:54] Bogie: Yes, while in Hungary. If you ask someone how are you, then you would stand there in that same spot for at least 30 minutes and talk about all your problems.
[00:19:07] Caroline: Is like the humor at all different, like here versus there? Cause I mean, I’ve spoken to other people. They said that was one of the strangest thing to them is like what Americans thought was funny.
[00:19:23] Bogie: I don’t think I had that. No.
[00:19:26] Caroline: Any like traditions that you did like over there that like weren’t so like done over here?
[00:19:36] Bogie: Hmm. I have to think about this. Okay. And we can just go to the, it’s you. It’s been a long time. You know, it’s been 10, five years. Yeah. And I have to think back, but I adjusted very quickly. That’s good. I think. I think.
[00:20:02] Caroline: So, like you’re interacting with like your peers, like your friends was relatively like easygoing?
[00:20:08] Bogie: I think so, yeah. I don’t remember having the language, of course that was problematic at first. Mm-hmm. Since the first, well the first few years
there were hung in California. We had Hungarian friends, or at least my mom had, she’s very social. Mm-hmm., she had lots of friends and few months. After I got here, I met my husband who grew up in Hungary too. Mm-hmm… So, we had that connection.
[00:20:55] Caroline: Was that also like when you were 18? Like how old were you when you met him?
[00:21:01] Bogie: Yeah, I was still 18, almost 19.
[00:21:03] Caroline: So, everything like happened to you when you were 18?
[00:21:07] Bogie: Yeah, it was a lot of change. A lot of change but it wasn’t overwhelming or anything.
[00:21:13] Caroline: So, like a good change?
[00:21:16] Bogie: It was, and since it was all, it was my decision, I wanted it that way. It wasn’t, you know, I wasn’t forced into it.
Yeah. Like many immigrants are because of their country. Or
You know I guess that made it easier. Mm-hmm… Cause it was my decision.
[00:21:44] Caroline: Like more free choice with Yes. What you wanted to do. So, when it comes to, like we were talking about like work, what was like the first type of work that you did when you like first got here?
[00:21:55] Bogie: So, while I was still in Hungary in part-time, I was a pet groomer. Mm-hmm., I love dogs and I was pretty good at it. Mm-hmm., my plan was to after I get back from after I got back from my vacation to, I wanted to be a dog show judge. You know, those people were judging the dogs on the show. That was my next step to, you know, get into more into that dog world.
Dog showing and preparing dogs for shows. I did some of that. And yeah, that was my plan, and it was kind of, Kind of thing the way I did the pet grooming. And here in the United States, someone, you know, some Hungarian, someone who knew a Hungarian guy who was a veterinarian in Hungary, and he was going through schooling here.
To be accepted as a, you know, a veterinarian in, in the United States and he was working in a animal hospital and he was able to get me a grooming job. Mm-hmm. at that hospital. It was in Beverly Hills, California. But
[00:23:35] Caroline: That’s a lot of good connections.
[00:23:37] Bogie: Yeah. But. Oh my, when my mom first visited me there, she was crying.
Oh, it was such a terrible ran down place. It was, it wasn’t a fancy schmanzy Beverly Hills kind of you know, pet hospital. But it was good that I was able to get a job for. Basically, no money. They didn’t pay me that much, but it was a really good start. Mm-hmm. and I was able to learn a lot of English because the guy who I worked for didn’t know Hungarian.
Mm-hmm… So that was good.
[00:24:24] Caroline: So, like the difference between. Grooming like dogs over like in Hungary versus like here you would say like, was it much different?
[00:24:33] Bogie: Completely different. Cause in Hungary, as I told you, it was more like an upscale kind of thing. In, in Budapest the people are very well, they were if they had a pure.
They would want you to groom them as if they were going to a show. You know, even for ev every day they, you know, they did not take them to a show, but they wanted them to look like, you know, look very show like and see. And I would spend like two, three hours on one dog. Wow. Here, here in the US everyone wanted to just shave it off, shave it off.
You know, we don’t want, it’s not as artsy, not as artsy. It’s more use user friendly. You know, just.
[00:25:34] Caroline: Like the dog can see more than like looking show like.
[00:25:38] Bogie: Yeah, and the cleanup is easier, you know, with the long hair. So yeah, it was that was a big change for me.
[00:25:48] Caroline: So, like work wise, where did you go from there to like, up to like what you do now?
[00:25:57] Bogie: So I was a pet groomer for seven years. And then I moved from Los Angeles to Orange County in California and started to work for an artist because I have artistic capabilities. Mm-hmm… And so, I ended up working for an artist for 10 years.
Going to I did a lot of different things. I was his assistant you know, mixing colors and frame design all kinds of things that would mm-hmm. Or. Required and traveled a lot with the work.
So that was my next.
[00:27:01] Caroline: So, do you still like do that today or?
[00:27:07] Bogie: I was not that much actually. Elaine and Arney, mm-hmm., they are trying push me back into the art.
[00:27:17] Caroline: They’re a very artsy family.
[00:27:18] Bogie: They are. They love art. And you know, Elaine is amazing. Mm-hmm. is doing and yeah.
[00:27:31] Caroline: So, do you work right now or?
[00:27:35] Bogie: No, we have one.
My husband and I have one daughter. Mm-hmm. Well, it’s a really long story, and it’s not my story, it’s my husband’s story. Anyway, he was in the military and then when he was young, and then he was in the reserve. Mm-hmm… And then I met him, and when I married him and the first 10 years of our marriage, he was in the reserve.
So that meant that. Once a month for a weekend, he would go to the nearby naval base and you know, just for a weekend for training and that’s all it was. We had our civilian life and then he was recalled to active duty. And he decided to stay in as an active and that’s when we decided our daughter was nine years old.
Mm-hmm., that he would go into the active service, and I didn’t have to work. So actually, it came. Came handy even before we made this route. At least one parent stayed with our daughter, you know, you know, when I traveled or he traveled, one of us would be there with her. Yeah. Got, luckily because I was, I had flexible hours.
I could spend a lot of time with her. But you know, around nine, 10 years old, it came handy to be a stay-at-home mom and yeah. Yeah,
[00:29:21] Caroline: I’m sure you experienced a lot too, like being able to stay at home and like, help her and like being around her a lot too.
[00:29:30] Bogie: Yes, in school I was always, School helping out, you know.
[00:29:36] Caroline: Was it cool seeing like her in public school, like when she was younger of like how much hands-on stuff that they do?
[00:29:43] Bogie: So, for few years she was in a private school. Mm-hmm. Because I wasn’t comfortable with the public school in that area where we lived. So actually, I moved. At that time, my husband was, wasn’t with us, he was in Hawaii cause of that, and we were still in California, and I moved so she could go to a large public school because the private school she went to, it was small and very protective.
You know, it, I didn’t think that it was, it was good for her. She needed to, yeah. Learn what’s the life is about. Yeah. Lots of kids and learn, you know? Mm-hmm… And luckily, we so from California, she was in the third, third and fourth grade in public school, and then we moved to Kansas. Close to Kansas City in Kansas.
And the public school was so much better in Kansas, in that city where we lived than in California. And we moved around. So yeah, she went through lots of schools. Yeah, lots of moving. Lots of moving every three years.
[00:31:16] Caroline: Yeah. So, since your husband is like a part of the military is like, did you apply for like US membership before him or was there like a way with him in the military that that like helped?
[00:31:33] Bogie: So, when I met him, he was in a reserve and military wasn’t, I mean, it wasn’t on our mind. It was his thing for, you know, for a weekend. Mm-hmm… But I got my green card through him if that’s what you’re asking.
[00:31:54] Caroline: Yeah. So, he was here for like so he, was he in the states before you came over? Like originally?
[00:32:03] Bogie: Yeah. Was already a citizen.
[00:32:08] Caroline: So, with the process of like getting your green card, like was it kind of, was it hard or was it like relatively like kind of easy or just had like, wait for a while?
[00:32:18] Bogie: So, we decided not to have an attorney. Cause some people do that. Mm-hmm., they, you know, they hire a immigration attorney.
Something like, yeah. To, to speed up the process, you know. We decided to do it ourselves since we weren’t in hurry. Because I already had, so when I moved here Yeah. I should, yeah. When I moved here, I got a social security card. Mm-hmm… So, I had my number. I just couldn’t work with it. Mm-hmm., it said you can’t work with it.
And I’m not sure if we should include this one in the, in your work. I, of course I worked, but I also, with that number, I was able to pay tax, I would send in money, and of course the they didn’t say anything, you know, they didn’t send the money back to me. Mm-hmm… Yeah. You know, the government. Yes. But after we got married, I was able, you know, I, I know I had, I got a new card with the same number, except that one didn’t say that I cannot work with that, and that, that was the most important thing for me.
Mm-hmm. So, we just did that ourselves. We filled out tons and tons of forms. Well, my, my husband did, honestly, he did all the things. And I think it took about a year and a half to receive my green card after we got married. Mm-hmm… But as I said, it didn’t really matter because the most important thing was to be able to, you know, work without any problem.
Mm-hmm. and the interview for you know, the interview before they sign you, the green card. It wasn’t bad at all. We heard all. Crazy stories can ask you what color is your spouse’s toothbrush? Or, you know, no, none of those crazy questions.
[00:34:52] Caroline: So, it was pretty like, straightforward?
[00:34:56] Bogie: Straightforward. Of course, we had to take pictures that just show that we live together, but mm-hmm.
Yeah, it. Problem. Okay. So
[00:35:13] Caroline: Do you, when’s the last time that, like you went back to like Hungary?
[00:35:20] Bogie: It was in 2020, right before the shutdown. I got back February at end of February and then, you know, a few weeks later, the so. Few weeks. Yeah, a few weeks later we had the shutdown. Yeah, it was my mom’s 70th birthday because my mom moved back to Hungary few years.
[00:35:48] Caroline: So, so is it just your mom that’s like over there now or?
[00:35:51] Bogie: My mom and cousins and aunts and uncles. I have half siblings from my father’s side. Mm-hmm.
But yeah, the most, the closest family member is my mom.
[00:36:11] Caroline: Yeah. So, you still try to like visit over there like every once in a while?
[00:36:16] Bogie: Now that we are traveling more. I would like to. Again. Mm-hmm. to Hungary with my husband because the last few times was without my husband. And I feel guilty eating without him.
He loves to eat and you. Then you are from the, it’s no matter how long you’ve been in the States, it’s, oh, you know what? The food, the food was hard to get used to. You know, you asked me if the, you know, the traditions. You know, if I struggle with it, no, the food was, food was hard for me. The bread.
Mm-hmm… Almost 30 years ago, the breads weren’t that great. Here. I’m, I’m so sorry to say this. Now you can find good bread. You know good without crossed goods. That’s that.
[00:37:24] Caroline: So, you said the bread was what?
[00:37:25] Bogie: Wasn’t so good. Yeah. 29 years ago, I had a hard time cause I’m a bread eater, I have to eat bread every day. And yeah. 20 years ago, couldn’t find any good bread.
[00:37:44] Caroline: Do you know why it wasn’t good do you think? Or just it wasn’t good?
[00:37:47] Bogie: At that time, maybe I wasn’t shopping at the right grocery store, but most of the breads were pre sliced, you know, like the wonder bread and all that.
[00:38:02] Caroline: Kind of more like processed like stuff?
[00:38:04] Bogie: Yes. And you know, for Europeans that’s not, that’s not. Are there any other, like foods? I think slowly, slowly beyond noticed that some of the stores are carrying better and better, and now they’re some really good ones. Jesse stop walking around back there (dog in background)
[00:38:35] Caroline: So, has your daughter been to Hungary?
[00:38:38] Bogie: Yes, she’s been. Several times with us. At least four times. She speaks Hungarian. Cause of course my husband and I speak Hungarian. And she learned Hungarian.
[00:38:57] Caroline: You said she’s in college, right?
[00:38:58] Bogie: She now, she graduated. She graduated, but she’s in school, but no, she’s in like an intensive program for software engineering.
Wow. So, she’s studying but not in the university. It’s like a program. Mm-hmm.,
[00:39:20] Caroline: Do you have anything else that you wanted to talk about, like anything? Came to mind or?
[00:39:28] Bogie: Mm.
Lemme, think you have written down. I think I told you. Yeah, I told you. The airport told but do that nasty animal hospital. Mm-hmm. I think that’s it. If I remember something. Can we, is this our only chance to do this now or?
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