Television and high-speed internet have become a necessity for many people in the 21^st century. Television is not only a form of entertainment but also a source of information for a significant number of the population, and is especially helpful for the elderly, who often have trouble reading newspapers. In the developed world the internet has taken over the role of television as a source of information for the younger generations, while providing entertainment as well. The main advantage of having an internet connection during your stay abroad is, on the one hand, the possibility to communicate with friends and family at no additional costs, and on the other hand, access to on-line banking and other services.

Cable TV subscription

You can typically order cable television subscription from various providers, after checking their offers and packages. Most cable providers take orders by phone on a toll-free number and send the set-top box via post to your home for self-installation, along with the contract to be signed and returned. If your home has a cable TV socket available, there is no need to send a technician as setting up cable TV is quite simple nowadays and the service is switched on remotely. Make sure you do activate the cable card though, or the set-top box won’t be able to connect to the network. Many shows are subtitled for the hard of hearing, which is also very useful for language learners. You can also improve your English if you pick a service that can record TV shows, so you can replay the parts that are difficult to understand. If you want to cancel your subscription, you can do so by phone, and the set-top box needs to be returned to the provider.

Internet subscription

The two main types of internet are cable internet and DSL (digital subscriber line). Whichever you pick you will need a cable modem or a DSL modem that is plugged into a wall socket. You can either buy one or pick a provider that offers modems for rent or for free, depending on your package. More and more people need wireless internet as well for their tablets or phones, so make sure you discuss the option of getting a Wi-Fi router from your provider. If you would like to use two desktop computers or connect your laptop for a faster connection than through Wi-Fi, an ADSL splitter will sort the problem. Depending on the status of the network, connecting your home to the internet may take days or weeks, which can be frustrating. In such cases the best solution is to buy a USB stick, also called a dongle, which provides broadband internet on a pay-as-you-go basis.

Susan: Bob and I looked at several flats last week.
Bob: We looked nearly everywhere: in the city, in the suburbs … and we can’t decide. If we rent a house in the suburbs we’ll have to drive, which is quite expensive nowadays with these petrol prices.
Susan: We looked at every kind of flats: one bedroom, two bedrooms. I can’t even remember all the places we saw. I’m also quite confused, I don’t really understand terms like security deposit, leases, and utilities.
Tim: Wait a minute! Before you start looking at flats, you should decide what kind of property you’d like to rent, and where you’d like to live. If you know what you want, it’ll be much easier to find a place!
Susan: I’d like a small house in the suburbs, three bedrooms, with a dishwasher, air-conditioning, and a swimming pool nearby.
Bob: Sure! And I would like a villa by the seaside. Susan you know that we can’t afford such a big house.
Tim: Did you make a budget? Do you know how much you can afford?
Bob: Well, actually, we didn’t.
Tim: First of all, you have to decide how much you can afford. The rent of a flat and the utilities should cost less than one third of your monthly budget. Then you should decide what kind of flat you want, how many rooms you want, you want it furnished or unfurnished. After you decided everything, you can start looking at places.
Bob: Do you have any idea where we can find out about properties for rent?
Tim: First you should decide where you want to live – in the city or in the suburbs, which neighbourhood you like. Then surf the internet as there are plenty of websites that deal with property rentals and sales. Susan: Is the internet the only way to get information about flats for rent?
Eve: There are other ways to find out about properties. Drive or walk around the neighbourhood you like and look for ’rent signs’. Pop in the local estate agent’s, they generally have a bulletin board with notices about flats for rent. But be careful, if you use rental services, the agency may charge a fee!
Peter: At last, but not least talk to your friends and people at work. They may know about places for rent.

Hungary is a democratic republic where members of the parliament are elected every four years. The Prime Minister serves as the head of government and the President of the Republic serves as the head of state.

99% of the people living in Hungary speak Hungarian as a first language. Hungarian is a Uralic language distantly related to Finnish and Estonian. English and German are the most widely spoken foreign (second) languages, while there are several recognized minority languages as well, such as Croatian, German, Romanian, Romani, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian and Ukrainian. As for Ethnic diversity, in 2011 83% of the population was Hungarian, 3% Romani, 1% German, but almost 15% did not declare their ethnicity.

Hungary has no official religion, but the country is traditionally Christian. The most important religions  are the Roman Catholic, the Reformed Calvinist, the Lutheran, the Greek Catholic, the Jewish and the Muslim.

Hungary is the home of some fascinating architectural and archaeological treasures – the largest synagogue and the largest medicinal bath in Europe, the second largest Baroque castle in the world (Gödöllő), the third largest church in Europe (Esztergom), the largest Early Christian Necropolis outside Italy (Pécs) and several Roman and medieval sites. 

Hungary has a thriving cultural scene with theater, ballet and musical performances in most of its major cities and towns. The film industry has also reached international success. The Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to a Hungarian author, Imre Kertész in 2002.

Hungarian has a characteristic cuisine with dishes based on meats, seasonal vegetables and fruits, dairy products and spices, such as pepper and paprika.