Budapest old and new

As much as a I love Shanghai, it was not the first city I fell in love with. Getting used to the Chinese megalopolis was actually not easy coming from the charming Central European City of Budapest. I have spent more than 5 years walking the paved streets of this XIXth century beauty. I knew about every corner of several districts, in particular the 6^th district, home of numerous theatres and cafés.
Though I left the city about 4 years ago, I have managed to come back regularly, being able to keep a strong link with my old community of friends. The city still feels like home, though the more time passes the more my memories separate from reality. The pioneer spirit that pushed a lot of foreigners to come to Hungary10 years ago seems to have somehow vanished... they are all in China now. The community of pioneers who arrived in the early – mid 90’s in Budapest is getting smaller and smaller. We had a real group of friends, most of us are gone away… just like me. The remaining ones are busy climbing the corporate ladder or heavily involved in raising their kids. Their daily life is far remote from the group of bachelors and young couples that we used to be. To my surprise, some of my friends now only meet when I am in town… passing by from China. After a few days, I miss the speed and energy of today’s Shanghai. The Budapest when I lived in was full of hopes and new energy, most of it seems to have vanished.
The city is getting more beautiful, transforming from a dark intriguing labyrinth to a colorful tourist paradise. Thanks to a current real estate boom, old buildings are being renovated into former glory, or torn down to be replaced by new. The mix creates a nice atmosphere that is catching up with Vienna or Munich. It has become a nice Central Europe city within the European Union, as opposed to this mysterious city so attractive because of its mystery. I am sure new people still arrive and create there own little world here… but it’s just not the same for me. Budapest is still a great place to visit and I always invite my overseas friends to go there. Shanghai is where my life is.