Balu is one of my best and oldest friends. I know him since the September of 1996, when we were first-year students at the university. We, first years, spent far too much of our free time sitting in public computer rooms and exploring the Internet, which was absolutely new to us. I still remember (perhaps because I told this story many, many times) a tall, black-haired guy, standing right behind me, making annoying comments about my e-mail. When I reminded him politely that he probably would be able to find a free computer in the other — and larger — computer room, he merely laughed heartily and kind of apologized.
We soon became friends, and I remember him being the most interesting person I ever met during my eleven years spent at the university. He is also the only one who is always open to an honest and constructive debate. That’s how our relationship turned to be really serious, almost intimate: discussing countless topics through e-mail. I think he is one of the persons who inspired me to learn to form my arguments more clearly and logically.
Being someone really close to me, he also helped me getting through two or three serious break-ups. He was behind me when I had to make the most important decisions in my life. I can only hope that I was able to give back of this support during the years spent together.
When his girlfriend, Zsófi organized his surprise-birthday party in a cozy pub in the city, she asked us to bring some photos about Balu and about our common memories. She collected the pictures in two thick. nice-looking albums.
I only make photos regularly since I got my first digital camera in 2004. However, I was able to collect a lot of photos which picture important or memorable moments of us. Here are a few of them.
This photo was taken in May, 2004, on an excursion organized by the editor-in-chief of the university newspaper we — Balu and me — both worked at. What surprised me when finding this picture on my old computer, that he seems so young, while it was taken barely four years ago. However, when I thought it over, I realized that he did changed a lot in the last years — and not just his looks.
These are our footprints on the bank of the Danube, near to their house in Göd. Mine is the smaller one; the funny thing is that we basically have the same height. This photo was taken when I visited him at the end of the summer. We were walking and talking besides the Danube and somehow I felt that I needed to swim. It was strange, because I nearly never swim in natural waters. However, it was so much fun, that two days later I went back and swam again — now I even took my swimming trunks with me. Being at Göd with Balu is always a nice and peaceful experience.
In 2005, I started to organize small parties for my friends. We had a few drinks, played pool, and talked a lot. I always tried to make sure that Balu is there at these occasions. He is funny, and really easy-going; he is kind with everybody, so when he was there, he also helped me to keep the group together. It was really helpful, since my friends did not necessarily knew each other. I was always imrpessed how easily is Balu able to start a conversation with someone he never met. This is an ability I always lacked, and always admired in him.
An other newspaper excursion with an almost entirely changed staff in 2006. By that time, Balu became a very good and experienced columnist and editor at the paper. He also won two awards given for university journalists. A year later we started to held a course together on university journalism.
A trip to Szilvásvárad in 2007. We were on holiday at the same part of the country, so spent one day together. We made a small excursion, and then we went to Eger and finished the day in a very nice confectionery.
This photo (shot by V.) was also taken at Szilvásvárad. Once I stated Balu and Zsófi to be my “favorite dream couple”. This is a very nice and typical moment of theirs. I hope it is also a nice way to say thank you for the excellently organized surprise party to Zsófi.
