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As we shared with you last year, Inter Relocation’s owner was once an aspiring musician; so when new Budapest-based band Tuesday Night Rodeo, contacted him to talk about corporate sponsorship, they received a friendly reception. Inter Relocation has taken the decision to continue this fruitful cooperation throughout 2017.

We talked to lead singer Terry Etheridge and Inter Relocation’s owner, Stuart McAlister about their cooperation, music and how Tuesday Night Rodeo has moved on since the last time we spoke to them.

Budapest’s Newest Expat Rock God - Tuesday Night Rodeo

Although Tuesday Night Rodeo was formed just last year, you’ve already achieved great success. Could you summarize the major milestones thus far?

Terry: Every new band wishes and hopes for airplay and a label deal, Tuesday Night Rodeo managed to secure a label deal and release within the first year, soon after RadioRock in Hungary gave us our first airplay, and to achieve daily rotation was a big wow for us!

Stuart, was it even a question for Inter Relocation to continue sponsoring the band?

Stuart: Honestly, yes. Our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy involves different elements and whenever we support a cultural project there must be real value in the support we give. Tuesday Night Rodeo is a great example of cross-cultural cooperation, a group of Hungarian musicians with a Brit on lead vocals and guitar, playing ostensibly American music. This is what attracted us to the project, a truly international blend of nationalities and musical backgrounds, coming together in Hungary to play yet another style of music. 

You have musical background, mostly pop and funk. Why a country-rock band?

Stuart: I’ve known Terry as well as Joey from Paddy and the Rats for several years and when I heard about this new musical direction that they were taking together, I was very excited. Country rock isn’t a genre that has featured much in my life but artists like Sting have dabbled with country music and knowing Terry the way I do, I knew that the songs they write will be a little different from what I might typically expect country rock to mean. I was not disappointed!

How exactly did this cooperation start? Sure there is a bit more insider information.

Stuart: Well, inevitably, it started in the Caledonia Pub. Terry and I had had a casual conversation about this new band project over a beer and then he contacted me formally to express that the band was looking for founder sponsors. We explored the cooperation together and it made sense for me both from a CSR and business perspective. I’ll hand over to Terry to give you his side of the story. 🙂

Terry: Indeed, it did all start over a beer, or was that two? I’d known Stuart for several years and also knew he was a fellow musician. When the idea of sponsorship came up Stuart/Inter-relocation were obvious potential partners.  Stuart’s business has been built supporting the local community and newcomers to Hungary. We chatted about the possibilities and soon realised the mutual benefits. Tuesday Night Rodeo are very proud to work in partnership with Inter Relocation.

What has changed in the band’s life since we last spoke to you? Are there any new or unique directions TNR is taking?

Terry: Joey and I have already started writing the next Tuesday Night Rodeo album. There will be focus on writing more up tempo material. Joey also just had the good fortune to record the new Paddy & The Rats album with an American producer Cameron Webb, who has produced the likes of Sum41 and Motorhead. We are already applying some of the guitar recording techniques Joey learnt to the demos for the new artist that Joey and I are managing and writing for, AGGI.  So expect the new album to be a much bigger sound.

What is the biggest success in the band’s life to date?

Terry: Obviously such a fast album release, but now we are gaining airplay abroad too. The Album has been picked up by several country radio stations in the States and in the UK.

Your YouTube channel is pretty successful. There are comments like “I’m really digging this!”, “Very unique sound and vocal style!” and “I’m impressed!” What makes the band unique?

Terry: The band members all come from very different musical backgrounds, we didn’t take a look at the ‘Rule book for writing Country songs’. We wrote what we felt would make a new fresh approach to country, and then hung on to our hats.  Being from London and living here in Budapest it seems that we can re-write the rule book, It’s almost expected. I’m not sure that would be the same for an American band.

Who are the current members of the band?

Terry: Myself, Joey & Sam from Paddy and the Rats, Stephen and our newest addition is bass-man Danny Cser who joined us just in time for the Inter Relocation birthday party back in March.

Summer is a big outdoor concert season. Where will we have the chance to see TNR?

Terry: We are still working on dates at the moment….   You will be the first to know

What’s the next big step for the band?

Terry: The next album. We plan to add songs from that in to the set early to make our live performance more “up”. There are also plans for a new video release, but again, it’s still in the planning stage.

There are some people who quietly go about their business in the background, almost as an “éminence grise.” They work away and live their everyday lives while improving the fortunes of others.

Scottish-born Douglas Arnott, owner of  a professional translation office and a translator/interpreter himself by profession, is one such person. Besides his significant daily workload, he is the Chairman of the Robert Burns International Foundation.

Alongside the Burns Supper charity event, he regularly participates in other charity activities. He puts just as much heart and soul into helping as he does into his profession of translation.

We sat down for a chat about expat life, his career, and what motivates a professional like him in Hungary.

Today, you’re a father to three children, the owner of a significant translation agency, and the chairman of one of the largest charity foundations. Twenty years ago, is this where you thought you would be today?

20 years ago, I was still coming to the end of my degree in Edinburgh and hadn’t put much thought into what I wanted to do with it.

Having been trained in translation and interpreting, working abroad was clearly an option, even a likely option, but I don’t think I really believed I would still be here after almost 20 years.

You are renowned for your precision and high professional standards. Did you start your career here in Hungary?

After graduating, I spent another 4 weeks in Scotland before catching a flight out to Budapest, ostensibly to start a job here, which eventually came to nothing. Rather than head back home, I decided to set up shop by myself, establishing EDMF initially as a limited partnership (Bt.).

I used up the rest of my student loan to buy a PC, a printer, and a fax machine, and I waited for the phone to ring. So it was a slow start to the business. Translation is very much a service based on trust, and that trust has to be earned, which is difficult when people have no idea who you are.

Back in 1998, the online translation industry was nowhere near as developed as it is today, so initially EDMF was quite reliant on “local” business, but things soon picked up.

‘Cherchez la femme’ – as the saying goes. I believe an exceptional lady “enticed” you here to Hungary and has since become your wife.

Zsuzsa is well-versed in the profession too, and you run your translation agency together. How did you divide up the work with Zsuzsa?

That’s right, there was a reason for me jumping on the plane to Budapest back in 1998! I spent a year with EDMF and then almost six years working in-house at the translation department at KPMG Hungary before leaving in 2005 and devoting myself fully to EDMF again.

It was probably a couple of years after leaving KPMG and after our three kids arrived that Zsuzsa began to help out with the firm. I handle the professional side of the business; she coordinates the admin and back office, including marketing and social media.

Many people have said to us that they couldn’t imagine working side by side with their spouse. While it’s not always plain sailing, we have a system that works in the office, and more often than not, we’re able to leave our work minds behind when we head home.

How would you describe your everyday life?

Active! EDMF is growing, but we all have to be great at multi-tasking as everyone has not just one or two but many different tasks that need to be completed every day.

My time in the office is limited by when I have to drop the kids off at school in the morning and when they need picked up in the afternoon following whatever extracurricular activities are scheduled for that day, and there are a lot of them! This means the time spent in the office has to be as efficient as possible.

There are also periods of the year when the Robert Burns International Foundation takes up a lot of my time, giving me a few more balls to keep in the air. This is when I need to be particularly good with how I split my schedule, and Zsuzsa plays as much of a part in the RBIF from that point of view as I do.

EDMF, which you own, has today become one of the most professional translation agencies, operating for 19 years with clients in more than 20 countries and with 150 translators. How did you build up such a prospering business in Budapest?

We made a decision early on that quality would be what stood us apart on the market. This meant we concentrated on working with smaller teams of linguists, as opposed to the mass approach followed by many other companies in the industry.

Consequently, we were able to pay close attention to meeting our internal standards, and clients came to appreciate and value the consistent level of quality we provided. Over the years we have enjoyed steady growth that has enabled us to adapt and adjust to as we see fit, without having to take radical or risky decisions.

I think stability and reliability has been one of EDMF’s key factors of success over the last 19 years.

Do you consider yourself successful, what makes you happy?

What makes me happy – is sipping a glass of wine at home in the garden too simplistic an answer? It’s not that far from the truth though, what with our three kids, the company and the foundation, our lives are anything but slow and boring.

I grew up in Scotland’s biggest city, Glasgow, and loved it, but over the years I’ve come to value living outside the city. Etyek, from that point of view, is perfect. And the fact I can enjoy living there with everything we need as a family I guess means I can tick success off the list as well.

Besides your family and your business, you also participate in charity activities. These are clearly important to you. Do you want to give something back to the community, or does something else motivate you?

I grew up in an extended family full of doctors: a GP and a plastic surgeon for grandfathers, an uncle as a vet, and my sister and brother-in-law are both consultant physicians in the UK. While the medical genes passed me over, when I learned the Robert Burns International Foundation supported sick and underprivileged children in Hungary it just seemed like something I should be doing.

That was back in 2012, and now as Chairman of the RBIF I’m proud of what we have achieved over the last five years and indeed what we continue to do.

Last year we supported hospitals in Budapest and around the country as well as joining forces with the Caledonia Bar to help a nursery in a very poor village in northern Hungary. We have also launched a scheme helping SMEs get involved in supporting charitable causes with the help of the RBIF, with Inter Relocation the first company to sign up, on the initiative of Stuart McAlister.

As expats I think we can live quite a sheltered existence sometimes in Hungary, and it’s with projects like these where we can and certainly should do as much as possible to better the lives of those who have not been as fortunate as we are, especially when it comes to enjoying good health.

What are your plans for the future? Where do you see yourself in 20 years?

Let me see, in twenty years’ time, preferably retired and on an exotic golf course somewhere.

More realistically, I’ll be happy if EDMF has continued to go from strength to strength. I took up wine-making as a hobby a few years ago and will soon be bottling my fourth ‘vintage’.

The problem with making wine is that when you mess up you need to wait a whole year before trying not to make the same mistake again. I should know, I’ve made a lot of mistakes. Slowly but surely though I feel happy for others to taste the end product. Not enough to contemplate a career change though, I’ll leave that to the professionals.

The life of a successful musician is one many aspire to. The live performances, days in the studio, the groupies, who wouldn’t like to have that life?

Believe it or not, Inter Relocation’s company owner used to be an aspiring musician himself; so when new Budapest-based band Tuesday Night Rodeo contacted him to talk about possible corporate sponsorship, they got a friendly reception.

We’re delighted to announce that Inter Relocation is one of the founder sponsors of Tuesday Night Rodeo, a country-rock band closely related to the well-known Irish-Hungarian band, Paddy and the Rats. We talked to the expat guitarist with Tuesday Night Rodeo, Terry Etheridge. He has had an amazing musical career in his own right and his story really does read like a wild rodeo ride.

Budapest’s Newest Expat Rock God - Tuesday Night Rodeo

How would you describe yourself in 5 words?

In no particular order:

  • Active
  • Quirky
  • Productive
  • Positive
  • Outgoing

How did your career begin?

That fated day, back when I was a kid watching ‘Top of the Pops’.

Suddenly Marc Bolan and T-Rex appeared on screen, (for those who don’t know Marc Bolan, he  ‘invented’ Glam Rock, a road that David Bowie was too soon follow and start his career).

Earlier my father had asked what I wanted for Christmas, it was easy, “I want a guitar, I want to be like him”. My father agreed, but assured me it would be a “5 minute wonder”.  I do remind him on occasion, just how long that 5 minutes has been!

You lived in plenty of places, including Japan. Which is your favourite part of the world?

Favourite has to be here in Budapest, otherwise I wouldn’t have settled here. She’s a beautiful city with the charm of a town. I still have so many places I wish to see, I adore the Far East.

What was the reason you came to Hungary?

I tripped over Budapest via a friend who was spending sometime here. Came first for a weekend, then another and another; as my love affair with the city grew I started to learn more about Hungary too. Now, I wouldn’t swap her for anything.

Who inspired you the most, who were your role-models in your life?

Mum & Dad are, of course, my role models. Inspiration? Anyone who crafts what they do well, it’s not about success, but about having the passion to love what you do.

What was your biggest success in your personal life?

I have played with some great artists, been involved in big projects, hit the charts in the UK and Japan, but my greatest success is still being here today wanting to make music.

I’ve seen failure too and seen fantastic musicians give up because it wasn’t working out for them, I wasn’t ever going to let the failures outweigh the success.

Why did you choose music as your profession?

I have done other things in my time, but they have all been based in and around entertainment. I think, if possible, you should love what you do.

How did Tuesday Night Rodeo start?

It all started with a bunch of great musician friends sitting down for a beer. At some point in the evening someone suggested that, as we had never played together, we should one day book a rehearsal studio and jam, just for some fun.

A shout went up about ‘doing something different’ and another replied ‘what about Country Rock?’  It was agreed.

Interestingly, that rehearsal never happened, instead we started writing and recording.

A follow up meeting was arranged to name the band at The Caledonia Pub and Patrick, the owner, kindly decided to sponsor the meeting with a bottle (that became 2) of Jack Daniels. The word RODEO kept coming back across the table… by the end of the last glass, it was agreed to put TUESDAY NIGHT in front of RODEO…  basically because, it was late, we’d had too much to drink and its was a Tuesday evening.

Budapest’s Newest Expat Rock God - Tuesday Night Rodeo

Will you introduce your fellow band members?

The Band consists of 2 members of PADDY & THE RATS. Sam on Fiddle and Banjo and Joey, who is my song writing partner in TUESDAY NIGHT RODEO, on guitar. PADDY & THE RATS are currently on a European Tour supporting the American band IGNITE.

They are playing to major crowds (2000+) here in Budapest and are the most downloaded/viewed Hungarian band outside of Hungary.

Steve is the drummer, he is well known on the music circuit and amongst Hungarian musicians. Steve does a lot of sessions as well as playing in Guns n’ Roses tribute band.

What were the most significant life-events in your career?

That has to be releasing my first single, which was in Japan.

As a young musician you believe you are the best thing since sliced bread.

In the run up to that release, under the direction of my then management and record label, came the realisation that this is a job, it involves a lot of hard work and absolute dedication.

There are thousands of amazing artists out there; some of whom will or have gone onto do great things. You have to have self-belief, but respect for what else is out there.

What do you do to switch off?

Now that’s an interesting question, believe it not, there’s no greater way for me to relax than by picking up a guitar. Somehow I manage to separate the work from the hobby.

What’s your biggest goal?

To keep making music!

 

Adapting to a new country and culture can take several weeks or even months, but with appropriate help, the transition can be a lot smoother.

2015/2 – by Ágnes Horváth, in Business Traveller Hungary /interview with Stuart McAlister

Finding and furnishing the suitable home, handling the documents necessary for legal employment and residence, getting to know the new place of residence and the local customs as well as finding a school and doctor pose serious challenges for foreigners when moving to another country, especially if they do not speak the local language.

Inter Relocation Group has considerable experience in helping newly-hired foreigners and their family members settle down in Hungary or any of another 19 countries. Its founder and managing director, Stuart McAlister, came to Hungary as a young and adventurous expat in the mid-1990s, before founding his own company in 2002. Over more than 20 years in Hungary, he has not only become accustomed to the culture but also mastered the language.

“We are not movers – although we can provide this type of service too with the help of our partners – we facilitate the integration of foreign employees coming to Hungary” explains Stuart McAlister.

“The majority of our work is made up of the administration of official documents, but we also focus on destination services, i.e. services related to settling down, namely residential, school and other services necessary for living in Hungary, as well as providing help with local orientation and bridging the cultural gap.”

To start with, how long does it take to obtain the documents necessary for legal employment in Hungary?

For citizens of the European Union and the European Economic Community the situation is more straightforward because the administration related to the required documents – social security card, tax card and documents necessary for employment – only has to begin after arriving in Hungary, which is less time-consuming.

For those coming from third countries, i.e. citizens of non-EU and non-EEC countries, however, the procedure is much longer because a visa is needed in many cases before even applying for a residence permit.

To this end, the purpose of the residence must be documented and fulfilment of the housing conditions must be proved (e.g. with a lease contract, title deed or address registration form) whilst verifying that there are sufficient funds on the bank account until the first salary payment is received – if a unified residence permit for work has been requested. Health insurance needs to be obtained too.

This procedure takes about four months, so it is advisable to launch it in good time as work cannot begin without a residence permit. For those who would like to drive a car it is also good to know that they can do so for one year after the legal acceptance of their residence, provided they hold an international driving licence issued by their own country. Thereafter, however, they have to request a Hungarian driving licence if their home country did not sign the 1968 Vienna Convention.

What are the first unexpected challenges facing those who come here?

Finding accommodation is particularly difficult, for example. Even more so if they do not know the language and the legal rules pertaining to lease contracts that should be observed. Another peculiarity of this issue in Hungary is that real estate agents only receive a commission from the landlord, instead of both parties or just from the tenant as in other countries.

Representing tenants we seek accommodation that satisfies demands in the best possible way, while our lawyers express opinions on the lease contract and we conduct negotiations on the rent to obtain the most favourable result for the tenant. Yet public utility contracts often have to be transferred into the tenant’s name after moving in, which can mean queuing for days.

Internet access and cable TV with appropriate channels are also frequently requested by foreigners, while they increasingly want to access online content available in their own country using their Hungarian IP address too. If something goes wrong, finding and communicating with a competent professional is likewise difficult due to the lack of language proficiency and local knowledge, not to mention recommendations for a reliable hairdresser, beautician, chiropractor or babysitter.

Families most frequently ask that their children be enrolled in schools and nurseries. Although there are plenty of “national” and international educational institutions in Budapest, they were fully occupied before the crisis with long waiting lists, since not only expats’ children attended. These institutions continuously expand, but waiting lists can still be expected.

Where do most foreign employees come from?

Hungary is becoming increasingly popular. While it was typically Europeans and North Americans that used to come here, today we now have citizens of more distant nations appearing, ranging from the Middle East to South-East Asia, while Indians are arriving in great numbers too.

But British pensioners are also able to live better here from their pensions than at home, and so we often help them in their integration and relocation.

Why has the number of Indians surged?

They mainly work in the IT sector and are needed because of their special software knowledge. They usually remain here for a couple of months, or a year, to teach the local staff, and then they leave because expats cost a lot in the long term.

Yet their departure is not always smooth since they need to claw back the deposit paid for the leased property, resolve any disputes with the landlord or even sell the car they bought here.

How has the composition of expats changed over the past years?

While it used to be mainly senior managers coming with their families, many expats are now single, have no children, and are not necessarily top managers.

Their relocation package does not always contain the presentation of elite private hospitals along with their services, as they need to settle for general Hungarian health-care services. Consequently they often ask for the contact details of an English-speaking GP or other doctor.

What problems do foreigners face most often having settled down in Hungary?

They mostly need help with repair jobs in their accommodation since repairmen and service providers don’t really speak foreign languages, though I must admit the situation has improved considerably over recent years.

On a positive note, the scandals “stinging tourists” around the turn of the millennium have now disappeared, since word gets around thanks to Tripadvisor and everybody stays away from places where this happens.

Above all things, the cultural differences present the biggest challenge.

In everyday life or at work?

Both. For example, they are not used to greetings from shop staff, so they don’t understand why they are welcomed like this. Managers of an American company recently complained that they could not find reliable Hungarian workers for months, because despite telling them what to do, the employees automatically reverted to their old habits after a couple of days.

It turned out they only gave instructions without explaining the reasons – as is usual in the USA – and so it was really difficult to put their intentions across. Following my advice, they talked at length with the employees and sought their opinions, which eventually made the communication and workflow much smoother.

To prevent and handle such cases we introduced our cultural training service, where a much-travelled and experienced professional prepares managers for communicating effectively with Hungarian colleagues. As for everyday life, we have our own publication, a special guide detailing the most important things foreigners ought to know, such as the telephone number for the ambulance service and local customs.

How can expats relax and make contacts after work?

Foreigners can choose from a variety of special networks for friends and businesses, ranging from Expats Hungary and International Meeting Point to Internations or Friday Night Crowds.

The individual chambers of commerce also bring together the Irish, the Americans, the British or the Germans living here, women can always turn to the British Women’s Association, NAWA Budapest, the Professional Women’s Club or the International Women’s Club, while Hash House Harriers combine running with entertainment.

Many people remark that a lot of Hungarians attend expat clubs in Budapest, but I think this is perfectly understandable. If you have lived abroad for quite a while, it is difficult to find the rhythm of your own town again, and you just feel better among foreigners. To be honest, if I went back to England, I would definitely join such groups myself.