by Moritz Poesch
Green, hot, non-smoking - that is Treehugger Dan, a Budapest institution. Along with his 21st anniversary in this awesome city, he is about to celebrate the self-sustainability of his two shops – well known places of culture, talk, get together, small exhibitions, environmental awareness, fair trade coffee and of course: books. The story starts with the sinology and IR student at Bates College, Maine, aiming to become a U.S. diplomat to China. 1989. Tiananmen. The decision is clear: no. not a diplomat to China. Applications circle the world. Europe, Asia. The first response comes from Budapest. Where is that? Very American at that time, the closest guess would locate it somewhere behind the iron curtain. “We don’t have geography in school”, he excuses himself. (Sorry, dear fellows from the island…) Later he will find out that via the line of his grandmother there is a bit of Hungarian in him–she had to be told first though. On the plane to Europe another decision is being made: against becoming a diplomat. Landing, work started for various environmental NGOs. It became a spirit, a purpose, a meaning, and occupation – a way of life; Advocacy for the value of a cause common to every urban area, common to everyone living our lives; a silent cause, gentle, with the diplomat’s understanding and appearance. The first years in Hungary aimed at getting into the culture. Favoring Hungarian to foreign friends from the beginning, still his circle of private friends consists mostly of Hungarians, whilst his customers to a large extent are foreigners, tourists and expats.
Green, hot, non-smoking - that is Treehugger Dan, a Budapest institution. Along with his 21st anniversary in this awesome city, he is about to celebrate the self-sustainability of his two shops – well known places of culture, talk, get together, small exhibitions, environmental awareness, fair trade coffee and of course: books. The story starts with the sinology and IR student at Bates College, Maine, aiming to become a U.S. diplomat to China. 1989. Tiananmen. The decision is clear: no. not a diplomat to China. Applications circle the world. Europe, Asia. The first response comes from Budapest. Where is that? Very American at that time, the closest guess would locate it somewhere behind the iron curtain. “We don’t have geography in school”, he excuses himself. (Sorry, dear fellows from the island…) Later he will find out that via the line of his grandmother there is a bit of Hungarian in him–she had to be told first though. On the plane to Europe another decision is being made: against becoming a diplomat. Landing, work started for various environmental NGOs. It became a spirit, a purpose, a meaning, and occupation – a way of life; Advocacy for the value of a cause common to every urban area, common to everyone living our lives; a silent cause, gentle, with the diplomat’s understanding and appearance. The first years in Hungary aimed at getting into the culture. Favoring Hungarian to foreign friends from the beginning, still his circle of private friends consists mostly of Hungarians, whilst his customers to a large extent are foreigners, tourists and expats.
5 years ago his girlfriend at the time got the amazing idea of having four children. What to do? Well, why not start a second hand book shop. And so the cosy place on Csengery u. close to Hunyadi Square’s market was born. Between the local, almost provincial Hunyadi Square neighborhood, the hero square, Andrassy, Oktogon and the most bustling part of the city, the shop borders the city’s beat whilst offering a tranquil drawback from it. Yellow, orange walls reflect the lights. Tunde, the shop manager, is reading, sitting between counter, window and door. A customer has just left. Dawn is falling outside. Smoke steams from the coffee on the small table between us. In the corner behind is the shelf carrying the coffee machine, various kinds and brands of fair trade and organic coffee and tea. Dan has visited the manufacturing in Italy. Leftovers of the solar powered manufacturing process are stamped to briquettes and used for heating; Smells like unroasted, fresh coffee being burned. Whether he would open the shop again? Well, yes, he is happy to have done it. But it’s been a pain. He would not recommend doing it to anybody: tackling the bureaucratic barriers, running around between ministries, having troubles with the language – just the desire and a good amount of stubbornness kept him going. Three years ago the second shop opened in Lazar u., close to the opera. Every Thursday they are hosting cultural events there, theatre, music, literature, film. Entrance is 500 HUF, 300 HUF for students. It’s these events that keep him running. A friend met and immediately ‘hired’ the first artist on a plane to Budapest; a poet, who loved the idea to read in the store. - They pushed all the shelves out of the way, - and a regular event had been created.
Comparing the two shops, Csengere is mostly visited by students, backpackers and locals. Ususally, the latter know what they want: “Agatha Christie” – “well, whoever told them that was an easy read in English… We try to keep it on store though.” If the store should once not be able to provide what you look for, you are put in a database. Quite often the next day already someone walks in selling exactly what you wanted. Dan’s generally buys books at 300HUF, 5times more than the competition, and sells them for far less than any new bookstore of course. At Csengery they offer fiction, but also DVDs and scientific, anthropological, historical, travel guides, gender, etc. books. The opera bookstore has a lot of fiction, but also maps and illustrated books. Mostly tourists visit the store during the day. Many pass by on a river cruise and look for some benevolent novel for the journey, mostly 70s women’s literature. The bookstore occupies the front area of Discover Budapest, a tour center that offers tours, cruises, segways and bicycle rentals. It’s a well visited store, but with Csengery being the first and really his own, he enjoys it the most. - Even though now they are heating with electricity because the neighbor does not pay his gas bills. It’s ok. He loves the place. - And Budapest? “Budapest is great.” Public transport gets you everywhere; the dense cultural life can be entered for amazingly cheap prices, weekends offer the possibility to escape into the Buda hills. And of course, he has his home here, his network, and his places. Everybody knows Treehugger Dan. That feels good and can be effective. In last year’s red sludge disaster they were able to organize a huge fundraising concert over 6 weeks, involving a vast variety of Budapest’s bands, shop and restaurant owners, bringing competitors together to raise support. To sum up, no other place seems more attractive right now. Not even China. He passed through it on an advocacy trip to Kyoto with the Transsiberian railway. It was great. Campaigns and actions along the way and in Kyoto even the attempt to organize a critical mass. Unfortunately the Japanese colleagues were not too used to cycling, which made it a little difficult. Budapest however has a great critical mass, 80000 last year, the world’s biggest. A pity people don’t cycle more on a daily basis. (Having been hugged by a motorcycle on the way to his shop, I could guess why. ) Other, less environmental, “side jobs” include playing Santa Claus. Its fun he says, but tricky. Last year a kid realized his long hair and earring. “That’s the bookstore Dan”, destroyed Santa Claus’s reality. Fame and facade are skin deep enemies bound together to the same space. In 2010 Dan gave an interview for Elle Magazine for a back to the basics series – back to nature, to purity, to the green. What happens? A few days later a women walks into the shop clustered with make up, deeply covered in a fur coat. What a date! Opposites can attract each other – definitely not this one. So, neither China, nor make-up seems to be a real alternative to the present state. Thus there will be - how could it be otherwise? - Environmental work, advocacy and related projects – he knows the field and might even go to teach. Many opportunities – a pity, when the present feels too comfortable to take them. What he would miss when leaving Budapest? Turo, the thermal baths, wine, the language and the look from Margit bridge onto the city at night – well, and, of course, the fame – he grins.
A blog that will remain positive whatever happens: www.treehugger.hu/postiveblog
Dan’s web: www.treehuggerdans.com
Sell books to Dan: only at Csengery u. 48, 1067 Budapest
Buy books: Csengery u. 48, 1067 Budapest and Lazar u. 16, 1065 Budapest
Rent a bicycle: Discover Budapest/Treehugger Dan’s Lazar u. 16, 1065 Budapest www.discoverbudapest.com
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