She wouldn't stop apologizing. "I am so sorry for this noise. I talked to the workmen in the building to please not begin their work until after 8:00 AM." Her English, touched by a Hungarian accent, was flawless. Still, she had apologized for her English as well.

"It's okay. The noise didn't bother me at all." Which was the truth. Jetlag and the excitement of being in Budapest were what woke me up.

"I am so sorry. I did not know about the workmen in the street, right outside your window. They are city workmen. They are not the same as the workmen in the building, whom I know. When I heard them begin drilling at 6:00 AM, I felt so sorry for all of you." It was currently 6:30 in the morning.

"That's very kind of you, but it's really okay," I smiled.

She nodded and looked at the closed bedroom door, where the other hostel guests were sleeping. "I hope they can still sleep. It is so noisy. I wish the workmen would have begun working later."

She walked back to the front desk. I finished my toast and looked out the window. There was a workman drilling into the concrete, and probably a bunch of supervisors or backup men watching him.

Despite the potentially annoying morning noise for some, I thought this hostel was awesome. Unfortunately, it's not the easiest place to find. It's located within a residential building as opposed to its own building. There's no sign in front and the building number isn't noticeable. The only indication of a hostel is a small pink Post-It with its name near the doorbell.

Oh, and there are handy "Hostel" signs with arrows spray painted on the sidewalks too. One of them points directly at the building.

Jimmy woke up a few hours later. The noise obviously didn't bother him either. The young woman from the morning was at the front desk as we were checking out. She smiled as we approached.

"I hope you had a wonderful time in Budapest!" she beamed.

"We did, we did," we both chanted. "It's a really beautiful city."

"Yes, it is a beautiful city, I really love it. I just wish our people could do more to make this city more inviting for travelers. I don't think we do enough."

"Oh, no way. We found it really easy to get around," Jimmy added.

"Good, I'm so glad. Some travelers find it hard to get around here. Other cities are much friendlier to travelers. It's unfortunate that we can't be as well."

"Everyone we spoke to was extremely friendly," I said. "It was also surprising how many people spoke English and went out of their way to help us."

"Good, I'm so glad. Very glad. I sometimes read the reviews of our hostel on the Internet. One person wrote that it was difficult to understand the English of one of our staff. I felt so sorry about that. He is a good worker and is learning English, but it is not his first language and it is hard for him."

Jimmy and I shook our heads. "That's bullshit," Jimmy stated. "Everyone here speaks English very well. Too well, even. We didn't come here to hear English everywhere!"

She laughed. "Thank you, that is very kind of you to say. This is my hostel. It is my first business, and it is hard to find good staff that can speak English and want to work here. Everyone here is so friendly, so it makes me sad when our guests don't have a good time."

"We both had a fantastic time here," I repeated with a nod.

"Good, I'm so glad. It is hard to find good workers in Budapest because of the Communist work ethic. There isn't enough motivation to do a good job here. If you look outside and see six workmen, you'll see one working hard and five standing around. It is because there is no fear of losing their jobs that makes them not care enough."

I nodded and recalled what I saw outside the window this morning.

"I don't mean to say Communism is all bad. It gives us free education and many services. I went to school in Singapore and have seen the high prices people have to pay for an education elsewhere. I feel so sorry for those who can't afford those prices. Under Communism, many services are provided to the people for free. That is a wonderful thing."

"Hmm, good point," I said.

"And now, starting this hostel, I've had a taste for business. It is very good. I like it a lot. But it is still hard to find good workers, because of this Communist work ethic. For example, we have been having difficulty with our DSL. I have been trying to get the workers to fix it, but they have not. It has been several weeks and still they have done nothing."

"It's the same thing with DSL in America!" we laughed.

"Oh really? That is surprising. Americans work so hard. You take a lot of pride in your work. It seems like Americans are always working all the time."

"I've heard that a lot, as I've traveled around Europe," Jimmy added. "A lot of people here have that impression of Americans."

Her phone rang. "Oh, I am sorry, one moment please." She answered the phone. It sounded like another traveler had just found the clandestine building and was standing outside. She hit the buzzer. The new guest walked in. "Hello! Welcome to Budapest!" she cheered.

"We'll let you get back to your work," I said. We picked up our things and started out the door. "Thank you so much for a wonderful time!"

She smiled. "Thank you so much for staying with us! I hope you had a great time in Budapest! I am so sorry again for the noise this morning!"

I laughed and turned to the new guest. "As long as you don't mind a little construction noise in the morning, you're going to love this hostel, and this city. They're awesome."

"Thanks!" he replied.

The hostel owner greeted him and started telling him about the city. As we left, she smiled and waved to us one last time.

I looked over at Jimmy and said, "I don't know about the Communist work ethic, but her work ethic sure beats a lot of Americans I know."

. . .

What do you think of your country's work ethic?