Indentured to a Laundry Machine, Turning Twenty-One, In Memoriam, Interning, and Balancing Everyday Life with Desires

Settling in to Life in Budapest...Somewhat.

I was this woman on September the 8th...And then some.

So it's been awhile since my last update. I am genuinely sorry, but as I've lamented in my last two posts...I truly feel run around like a headless chicken here at times! Hopefully now that I'm settling into classes, and all my ducks are in a row, I can start updating things every few days instead of every few weeks! :) 

So, the first story I HAVE to share is a classic case of #firstworldproblems, because, frankly, I am a spoiled American. This is a realization that hit me rather emphatically two weeks ago when I made my first rather pathetic attempt at doing laundry here in Budapest. The directions for the washing machine is naturally in Hungarian here, so I did not know exactly how to use it, but I gave it a whirl because the only clothes I had remaining that didn't smell like shit were my pajama T-Shirt, my basketball shorts, and my flip flops. So I throw in a load of laundry...And it is the worst experience I have had with laundry. Like ever. Even after hitting "express wash" after I realized I put it in a long cycle...My clothes stayed in that washer from 12:30 PM to 4:15 PM. Almost. Four. Fucking. Hours. Like...How? And then I realize my dorm room has no dryer.

HELL TO THE NO! I was just about at my rope's end by this point, so I threw my wet clothes into my laundry bag, stuffed my dirty clothes into my suitcase, called a taxi, and headed for a pay-for-laundromat on Dohany Utca. Why did I do this? Because they had a dryer. I wound up doing three washing loads, five drying loads (Two had to be dried twice), and five hours of internet, and so I ran up an 8,500 HUF bill (The equivalent about $40 USD) but do I regret it? Not one iota. Anything not to hang up clothes on a drying rack. Yes, I am a spoiled son from the upper middle-class in this way. Deal with it. I've gone there twice since and will a third time this weekend. Each week I rack up about a $20 laundry bill. But I really don't care. Anything not to do the drying of the clothes myself. ANYTHING. 

I truly hope I never have a day like that one again with any laundry machine again. In total I spent nine hours doing laundry, and after burning $40 USD there, burned another $35 on a goulash soup and salmon steak at the fancy restaurant across the street...Which I naturally showed up to in my pajama shirt, basketball shorts, and flip flops, and basically told the waiter to feed me because I was American and had money. I got a few looks, but I got what I wanted and they got a customer. I've gone back to that place since (But dressed nicer).

The very next day, classes began. I really enjoy all of my classes, as they all have interesting subject matter and compelling reads (Well, okay, History Class really doesn't, but history is important, okay?) . I'm taking History of Hungary, Eastern European Lit, Hungarian Language, European Integration and Security, and Political Problems of Transition Post Cold War. All these classes have something I'm interested in, especially the latter two, as I am a political science major and want to go into international business law. I will never miss one of those classes, even if I'm ill. They're fascinating, and our professor is the senior adviser to the Minister of Defense here in Hungary, so he's kind of a big deal.

The very next day, I got my big birthday present from my family. Tamas got me tickets to the Hungary vs. Estonia World Cup Qualifying Match. Not only was it awesome to go to a World Cup Qualifying Match, but Hungary blasted Estonia 5-1, AND also climbed back into second in their qualification pool, but they still need to upset the Dutch if they are to advance to the qualifying playoffs. Fingers crossed, folks! And believe me, I was DECKED OUT for the match! Hajra, Magyarorszag all day!

VIVA HUNGARY!!! :)

Then the days after that, September 11th, was my BIG 21st birthday! There was a party that night for Corvinus students, so we hit it, and I had about five glasses of rose wine, danced like a fool to no beat (I can't dance; it's rather embarrassing), but I didn't care as I danced anyway because you only get one 21st birthday! :)

As if there wasn't enough in this action-packed week, that weekend we had three straight days of excursions. On the 13th, we went to Esztergom and Visegrad, two historically significant cities along the Danube Bend. Basilicas and important treaties abound in these two picturesque cities. My favorite thing to do over these two days was spend a long amount of time in the Basilica in Esztergom. We went up to the lookout tower and got an absolutely breathtaking view of both Esztergom and the outskirts of Slovakia. We even got to venture into Slovakia by crossing the Danube. Even if it was only for five minutes, I can now say I've been in Slovakia. That's pretty awesome, y'all.

Kristin and I at a lookout point. Slovakia is on the opposite side of the Danube.

We also went to Visegrad, saw some beautiful fortresses and a wax museum (Where I swear there were real people pretending to be wax figures all over), and saw more once-in-a-lifetime views. Oh, and we had a Renaissance meal and were treated like royalty...Andrew got drunk on shoddy Palkina, then wiped out when we got to bobsled. (First time I did it...no wipeout! Woot!) 

The next two days, we ventured deep into the heart of Hungary, spending time  paying our respect to those who fell in the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, which, for those of you who don't know, was the first true domino to fall in the downfall of Soviet Communism...Even if Hungary's revolt was ultimately crushed rather emphatically. Many rebels died...My grandparents fled Hungary during '56, so this really hit home for me because my grandparents lived this brutal revolution. They were part of it. It meant a lot to get to see first-hand a lot of this stuff. I took many pictures and was really humbled and felt really grateful for everything I've gotten to have in my life, because a lot of people haven't gotten it like that. My grandparents had to claw their way out of this country and leave their homeland behind. I couldn't even imagine. Here are some photos from the weekend. 

Images of '56 Memorials...Including a prison cell, a statue of a child of Budapest, the Stalin statue, and a long list of rebel soldiers executed by the Communist Regime. Ne felejt el ezerkilencszazotvenhat! (Never forget 1956!)

The weekend wasn't all doom and gloom, however, as in between all these rather somber and emphatic reminders of the suffering Hungary has endured, as well as how lucky we are as Americans (And just young people in this generation in general) to NOT be growing up in wartime, we had rather festive and enjoyable ventures as well. Between our first trip to the '56 Memorial and arriving at a Youth Hostel in BFN (Butt-Fuck Nowhere), we stopped in a small Hungarian town known for its wine and its sweets, and since it was their festival week, we got personally greeted by the town's mayor, got a wine tasting and got to indulge in their wide array of sweets as well, some pictures:

Wining and dining at its best ~

This past week was a welcome relief from the hustle and bustle of the prior one. I went to class, went out to drink a few times, hit on a girl at the bar for the first time in my life (Yeah, first time, seriously), and just enjoyed some down time with family. Now I wait to see what the next adventures bring. ON Friday we head to the old Hungarian town of Eger, where my family has a Greek Orthodox Church where our dead are buried. Would be interesting if our group stops by there. I'd feel special. :P

Today I got an Internship, and I cannot wait to do it. My job is to teach English to Hungarian college students. I cannot even begin to describe how excited I am for this opportunity. Not only is it an opportunity to make friends, but it's an opportunity to teach people my native tongue, and hopefully improve MY Hungarian, too, since Hungarian is not my mother tongue, but I desperately want to hold onto my Hungarian. It's seriously a blessing to have such an obscure tongue, and I'd love to be able to not only teach these students English, but improve my Hungarian, too. I've never been a teacher before, so I really relish the chance to hopefully make some impact on people's lives.

See you all Saturday, with updates from Eger! 

Trolling, Schwastedness, Loneliness, River Cruises, and Sickness

Week 2-Running Around Like a Headless Chicken

Seriously, that's about how I feel right now. If the title of this post and its subsequent heading wasn't indicative of the week I've had, well, you're a bit slow on the uptake, but I'm glad you're here anyway.

I do want to be able to update this more regularly, and I think once classes start on Monday that I will be able to, as I settle into a groove and am not run around all over creation. 

So, I'm giving this update tonight instead of tomorrow night because tomorrow is going to be a day of actually doing shit I'm supposed to do, like laundry, printing out syllabi, and looking at my textbook list and seeing if I can buy them tomorrow or Monday morning. You know, the things called real life. I mean, I did come here to study, so the reality that this is not just an extended vacation is beginning to take hold. 

I've barely had a free moment in the six days that have passed since moving from Cousin Cini's to the dormitory. Tonight I chose not to go out, watched some baseball games, and just relaxed for a little bit. So, let me recap, once again, the week that was.

On Monday, I woke up bright and early to move out of Cini's flat and into the Corvinus Dorms on Raday Street. I packed my giant suitcase and backpack, and waited for her father to take me to Corvinus. I lugged my giant luggage into the dorm, checked in with the resident staff, where they got quite the surprise when I spoke to them in coherent Hungarian, which they were not expecting as I forgot to tip off the CIEE staff that I indeed do have some Hungarian language, and it's not just a word or two. I took some of the CIEE students to lunch with me, and we just had a good time.  I spent the day getting to meet my dorm-mates and roommates and procrastinated after settling in, just people-watching and enjoying myself as people introduced themselves to me and others. 

Kristin, Sasha, Marissa, Myself, Jake, and Andrew having a Hungarian lunch.

Tuesday was just as hectic of a day, just not in the same way. This was probably actually, in all honesty, the most boring day for me personally. We went sightseeing around Budapest, which, don't get me wrong, was fun and all, but I had already seen the places we went (Hero's Square, and other places). We also were taught how to use the Villamos and Kismetro and other transit systems, all things I already know how to do. We then went over to the Buda side and got a gorgeous view of the Pest side and the Danube below. We finished the day off with a large dinner, and headed in for the night, knowing the next day would be rough as we had a 7:45 AM wake up call for a trip to the Hungarian Immigration Office.

This is where the "Trolling" aspect of my heading titles comes in. Knowing we would be heading to the Immigration Office, and that I was the only one besides the dual-citizen in our group, Aliz, who could speak Hungarian besides a phrase or two, I found my "Team USA" Jimmy Rollins baseball T-Shirt and strolled into the Immigration office with that. Why? Because they would assume, at first glance, that I would be least likely to be able to communicate in Hungarian with them. After waiting around for a few hours, I went in there, sat down with an Immigration official, and communicated everything with her in Hungarian, only using English for a word or two. It must've given them at least some semblance of a kick. I mean, if someone came into the American immigration office, from like, Albania or some shit,  with a giant "I LOVE ALBANIA"(In Albanian, of course) T-Shirt on, asking for a residence permit, and they spoke to me in perfect English, I'd appreciate it but also find it quite funny as well that this person, of all people, could communicate with me effectively in my native tongue. We then met the Hungarian teacher, got a schedule of our excursions, and we will be going to Eger and Transylvania in the coming weeks, both of which I'm excited for. This was a rather boring day, though, as we basically lost an entire day dealing with the bureaucratic world of Immigration Control. 

The same cannot be said for Wednesday night. I returned to the dorm with about an hour to spare before I was going shopping at Tesco with Tamas and Annina, two of the Dombys (My mother's side of the family) who have been supporting me and helping me while here. They showed me how to get there by bus, and then they and I went shopping together, and I got all the necessities, like, you know, dishes and such. Shit that I actually need to function. I come back at around 9PM that night, and my dorm is dead. fucking. silent. Like, there isn't a person in sight. I go downstairs and decide to just explore on my own for a little bit, expecting to be shuttered in my dorm room for the night because no one remains to hang out with. I run into some ISP Students from Chicago (ISP is another Study Abroad Program here for the semester) who all were planning to go to dinner and then The Szimpla, which is a ruin bar here in Budapest. I tag along with this ISP girl named Therese and a group of twenty-five ISP students are sitting at this Persian restaurant, ordering bottomless beers. I'm not a beer drinker, but I enjoyed just chatting with them nonetheless, and I ordered a nice Persian meal that was actually far better tasting than I expected it to be. I sat there and watched them continue to drink before sneakily paying my bill in Hungarian (So I couldn't get jipped with a 25-person bill, not that I wasn't trusting of these people, but I wasn't going to give them the opportunity to do it to me! :P), and headed back to my dorm room, where all remained deserted. I came back down and saw Gaby and Paige, two girls in our group, eating dinner just outside the dorm. My roommate Jake showed up minutes later and we agreed that we should follow Stephen, Sasha, and the CIEE Crew to the Szimpla, as it was a short way away, according to Stephen.

Not feeling like walking, we took a Villamos line two stops, and Jake somehow got his GPS to work, so we figured we would find Szimpla in no time. It was around 10:30 PM by now. Well, this didn't exactly turn out this way. Jake's GPS led us in about the longest possible route to the Szimpla as humanly possible, and when we finally got there, we realized it wasn't the Szimpla at all! It was a cafe that shared its name with the famed ruin bar/tourist attraction that is the Szimpla. I then remember that I have a map of Budapest in my satchel and we could've gotten there already. Surviving some death stares from Gaby and Paige, after an hour and a half of looking, we arrive into Szimpla at midnight. Sasha and co., who left when we did, have been there since about 10:45, and are all already completely shit-faced. Jake, Gaby, Paige, and I spend the next two hours basically catching up and getting at least somewhat drunk. I didn't drink a ton, and I was the deviant in the group. While the guys and girls alike in the group downed beers, I grabbed a Happy People cocktail, which is tequila, strawberry juice, and ginger ale mixed into a perfect combination of sweetness and tanginess, as well as a shot of Palinka (The Hungarian equivalent of brandy), and had a second Palinka shot, and topped it off with a vodka shot someone in the group didn't want. After the vodka shot, I felt a bit tipsy, and cut myself off before drinking anymore. It was a good thing I did, as I got a blister on both feet from the walking earlier, and walking back to the dorm was a chore even after only three shots and a cocktail. I felt tipsy and rather heavy-headed. So I had my first "out with friends' drunken experience at long last a week before my 21st birthday. 

Thursday was a far more docile day in comparison to Wednesday. I made a promise to myself on this day that I would not go out, because I slept only four hours Tuesday night due to our 7:45 AM wake-up call, and only five Wednesday night because I came back extremely late and then there was more drunken conversation in our dorm room. We all had a GREAT time, though. I had my first bout with loneliness on Thursday, too, however, because after an academic orientation, everyone else went shopping for personal supplies and Hungarian phones, both of which I already had, so I basically had three hours to myself between 2 and 5 PM. The problem with this is that the majority of my friends and family are either on the East Coast or on the West Coast, and it's either 5 AM or 8 AM back in the States, so very few people were around to talk to, and I just stared out my window, hoping someone would come along to just chat with. I'm an extremely extroverted person, I really don't enjoy a long amount of time alone. Now, granted, sometimes it's nice, but in the aggregate, I get very lonely/needy very quickly when left to my own devices for too long. I enjoy meeting new people and reconnecting with friends. Like always. I waited around for awhile, and headed down to Corvinus as we prepared for an AMAZING trip. We had a boat cruise on the Danube planned for Thursday night. Budapest by night is something that must be seen to be believed. Here are some photos:

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This boat ride was the epitome of a pleasure cruise. The picture at the top of the post is a picture of the Danube lighting up at Twilight from the Buda side. Truly gorgeous. Also got a close-up of the Parliament building, as well. Went to a nice dinner afterward with some CIEE folk who I impressed with my Hungarian. The reason I mention this is because it gives me a bit more satisfaction than I thought it would to be able to speak Hungarian coherently in everyday life. I find myself using it more and more and I think once I'm gone from here I will be fluent again.

Yesterday was...not such a good day. I went for a walk along the Danube prior to the cruise on Thursday, in spite of blisters on my feet, and they got much worse, and it hurt to even walk on Friday morning. I hobbled my way into Corvinus, and sat by one of my friends for Hungarian class. The Hungarian teacher realized that I had more Hungarian than just a word or so, and asked me what my story was. However, after we resumed class, I began feeling not only sore in the legs, but nauseous and I was developing a headache as well. I knew I needed food for my stomach, pills for my head, and some sort of ointment for the blisters I had. My legs were so sore, walking to the market for a piece of bread and grapes, the pharmacy, and back to my dorm (All about a half mile apart), took me an hour and a half. I had to stop on a bench and rest for literally 20 minutes, my feet were that exhausted, and the rest of my body began to feel it, too. Walking became very taxing. I limped home, flopped myself down on my bed, and tried to sleep.

Big mistake. My headache turned into a migraine, and I lost my lunch about an hour later. I took a Pepto Bismol for my stomach, an Ibuprofen, and hoped that would settle things. It didn't. I couldn't even keep water down the rest of the day. If I laid down and got up, I'd throw up. If I drank water, it would come back up. I wound up vomiting a total of sixth time, three of the times it was a painful dry heave. I was in tears by the fourth one, as it was hurting to continue losing food...as there was nothing left in my body at this point. I got medical attention finally, and was told I developed gastritis and basically would need to spend Saturday, Sunday, and Monday detoxing myself, eating only apples, bananas, bread, and water for the next three days. Yeah, THAT sucks. 

Today was Scavenger Hunt day, and thankfully I felt better. I had a blast going to St. Stephen's Basilica (Where I had once been locked in), the Opera House, and the baths, where my legs were still feeling the pain. My legs felt better after I soaked myself in the medicinal baths. Not healed, but better. I've been home since, just relaxing and watching some sports games. 

I hope everyone had a good week, and until next time, best wishes! 

Week 1- Pre-Departure and Arrival in Budapest

The Week That Was - Getting to Budapest

Alright, so I'm starting this a little late, but I have to thank my mom for giving me the idea of starting this blog. First off, a little bit about me for those of you who find this later who don't know me or don't know much about me yet, I'm a 21-year old (I turn 21 on September 11th, so in eight days.) fourth-year Political Science Major at Arizona State University. I was born in Baltimore, Maryland and Hungarian, not English, was my first language. We are an old Hungarian family; as both my mom and dad's sides of the family (With the exception of my paternal grandfather) fled Hungary in the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, so I was exposed to a lot of Hungarian culture in my earliest years.  I spoke only Hungarian until I was about three years old, at which time I transitioned to English, and lost the majority of my Hungarian. However, I can still speak survival-level Hungarian and understand it when it's spoken to me, even if replying is rather difficult. In March of this year, I got accepted to study at Corvinus University in Budapest, Hungary for the Fall 2013 Semester. I want to be a lawyer, so I am taking a lot of economics, business, and law-driven courses that also have Political Science concentrations. 

2013 has been a year of academic achievement and lots of crazy adventures for me. I can say, rather emphatically, that it has been the greatest year of my entire life. I made the Dean's List at ASU this past spring for the first time, went to Phoenix Comicon in 2013 and met Tara Strong, a voice actress who I LOVE, and then backpacked Europe with my family, leaving US soil for the first time in my 20-year life. We went to Budapest to spread my late grandfather's ashes in our family's plot in a church in the old Hungarian town of Eger, then went to Budapest, then took off into Western Europe, stopping in Rome, Paris, Amsterdam, London, and Luxembourg before returning home in late June. And now, here I am, back in Europe for the semester and adventure of a lifetime! I feel so lucky, blessed, and humbled to have gotten to experience all the things I have this past year, and I've truly learned what it means to live life to the fullest. You're only a traveler in this world, and your stay is rather short. 

So, now, I get to the point of this actual blog: My semester abroad. This last week (August 26th-September 1st) was absolutely insane in every way...So I'll recap you through the entire week. 

On Monday, it was two days before I took off on a 10-hour flight to London-Heathrow airport, across an ocean from all the daily routines and mundane motions of normal life and everything I know.  Even being surrounded by family in Hungary, my anxiety was shooting through the absolute roof. It was as if I was walking into some snake pit. All the fears a first grader usually feels on his first day of school, I was feeling. "Would I make friends?" "Would I fit in?" Hell, I even was worried about if I'd get stigmatized or teased for being overweight, in spite of being around college students. But I hope it's understandable; I had never been that far away from home, and never ever have I been that far away from my parents without at least one of them with me, so this was a groundbreaker in many ways. Never had I even been on an airplane alone prior to this adventure. Every single negative thing that possibly could've been going through my head did as I ran some final errands, made some final arrangements, and packed up my ginormous blue suitcase with all of my clothes and prepared to set off for adventure, for better of for worse, in two days time.

On Tuesday, I saw some friends for the last time, made some adjustments to my packing arrangements, and the anxiety really set in, as I packed my beloved Powerpuff Girls plushy and T-Shirt into a plastic Rubbermaid storage box, rearranged my backpack, turned out the lights, and realized that this was the last time I'd sleep on my large, Queen-sized bed in my bedroom for the next four months. I'm not afraid to confess that I was ready to burst into tears basically the entire night, as every single fear came to the forefront of my swirling tempest of a mind. It felt like my mind was just screaming at me, "What in the hell did you get yourself into?! You're an idiot, you know that?!" But I took a deep breath, went to bed, and slept surprisingly well once I finally turned out the lights at 2AM.

Wednesday was the big day. I did some truly last-minute things, watched TV in my room for the last time, had breakfast at my home for the last time, etc. until January and I returned home at least. Also, I will be in Hungary for Christmas, so I realized, as I prepared to go to the airport, that I wouldn't be spending Christmas with Mom for the first time. I still am not too sure how that's gonna go. My Mom is truly my rock in my life. I look up to her and she's not only someone I look to for guidance, advice, and love but also as a friend. I wouldn't have had the strength to apply for this opportunity if not for her. Dad, my brother Kristian, Mom, and I took off for Sky Harbor International Airport, and I went through Customs, hugged them all goodbye, fought back tears, and took off into the sunset. For better or worse, I was getting on that plane! I actually held myself together until the aircraft was about to take off. As I heard the engines revving up, I stared out the window nearest to my aisle on this Boeing-747, and my eyes watered as I realized that it was now officially a sealed deal: I was taking off across the Atlantic Ocean and for four months, (Which at the time felt like an eternity; It doesn't now) I was not coming home. 

Thursday was a day where I literally did not step outside (With the exception of a tarmac; more on that later), as I arrived into London-Heathrow at 1:30 PM UK time (5:30 AM Phoenix time), rather tired, rather sore, and rather jet-lagged. I met this Bulgarian girl named Sylvia, who was on her way to Bucharest and had never been through the chaos that was a flight connection at London-Heathrow, which, with exception of the tedious travel times to reach your connecting terminal, is the coolest airport in existence. I began the long (And I mean long) process of connecting, as I had taken this exact flight route (Phoenix Sky Harbor-London Heathrow-Budapest Liszt-Ferenc) in June when I came to Europe with my family to pay my respects to my grandfather and then backpack. So I, like a pro, walked exactly as directed to the Flight Connections Tram (Yes, they have a fucking TRAM inside Terminal 5- I'm not shitting you), and met the aforementioned Sylvia. She looked like a lost puppy, the poor girl. She told me she was heading to Bucharest, and didn't know how to reach Terminal 3, so I told her I knew where I was going and to follow me. She did, and she told me she was heading home to Bulgaria from Bucharest before backpacking China and Hong Kong (I MUST do this one day, too!), I helped her find everything she needed to get to her plane a few hours later, we grabbed a coffee and cake at a Starbucks in the Terminal Shopping Mall that is Terminal 3, and I bid her adieu. I then connected to Wi-Fi for 9 British Pounds (Nearly $18 USD) and told everyone that I was indeed still alive, and in Heathrow. I then went and frivolously bought some delectable British Truffles. Two packs cost me $40 but it was worth it! I then had a dinner of British Fish n' Chips (pictured above) and got nice and full before my flight to Budapest. My seven-and-a-half hour layover in the UK gave me ample time to shop for some material goods such as the $20 truffles and a nicer-than-needed meal. I then took the ten minute walk to the gate where my flight to Budapest would take off, boarded a bus that took me to the tarmac (Yeah, this airport is that massive), and crammed myself into the tube of this jet, and looked out the window into the ever-blackening night to the illuminated Europe beneath us. At the crack of midnight, I arrived into Liszt-Ferenc, got accepted into Hungary, and met up with my cousin Cini and went to her flat on the Buda side of Budapest to stay for the weekend. (For those of you who don't know, The Danube River splits Budapest in half; The Buda side is hilly and residential; The Pest side is flat and the more urban/business district.) I watched some college football and my Washington Redskins' final preseason game, and finally managed to fall asleep at 5 AM (8PM Phoenix time), knowing a late wake up call the next day was inevitable.

Friday was, as predicted, a dead day. I set my alarm clock for NOON, hit Snooze on it, didn't wake up, and woke up at 2PM that day. I sat on my duff on Facebook and mindlessly watched the hours tick away, not even bothering to get out of my pajamas. Finally at 6PM, I realized I hadn't eaten anything except a piece of pepperoni out of Cousin Cini's fridge and half a cup of tap water, so I showered, and went to the Lipoti Pekseg (Bakery) outside Cini's house at the end of the Villamos (The Hungarian tram system) line. I grabbed a cheesy bread and some cinnamon pastry and a bottle of mineral water and loosely called that a late brunch. Not feeling like going back to the flat, as the weather outside was perfectly chilly but not frigid, I went for a strut along the Villamos line as to not get lost (Cini's house is at the end of the line, so I simply walked down the tram line, so I knew where I was), and found a nice little park area on the side of the tram. I walked down into it. It was a perfect place to take your dog for a walk, take in the serenity of nature, or, if you're more into that thing, have a smoke. I, for one, hate cigarettes, but more on this soon. A group of Hungarian locals, aged around 17-20, sat down and started talking to one another. I walked over, not to talk to them, or even meet them, but to listen in to their conversation. I said nothing, as while I could understand what they were saying, I was not comfortable enough with my own vocabulary and speaking abilities to have a conversation with people my age, as my Hungarian is choppy and more survival-level Hungarian. Eventually, a thuggish looking guy in the group, in a black T-shirt and baggy black jean shorts that hung down (You know, like when half their ass is showing), began lighting up a cigarette. I hate cigarette smoke and am asthmatic, so I walked away. The girl on the end of this line of friends, turns around, realizes I had gone, and calls to me "Hey! Gyere meg vissza!" (Hey! Come back here!). I turned around, as I understood what this (And most of their conversation prior) meant. They began laughing for some odd reason. They asked me where I was from, and I said America. I told them I was a student at Corvinus for the semester, and that I can understand, but not really speak Hungarian. Then the aforementioned thuggish guy lightning a joint asked me if I like music. I said yes. He asked me if I liked rap. I said no. They then asked if I do crack, cocaine, LSD, heroine, or drink. I said no to each, as I don't do those things (except occasionally drink wine). They then proceeded to laugh with each other, and pointed at me saying "Buzi!" about twenty times. (Buzi is "faggot" in Hungarian), along with "Basz" (Fuck), and "fasz" (Dick). I was ready to cry...But couldn't...I mean, I was already outcasted among this group, I couldn't crack in front of them, right? Her English-speaking boyfriend, CJ, came over, and she pointed at me saying "Ő nem erted mit mondunk!" (He doesn't know what we're saying) which annoyed me, because I already explained (in Hungarian) that I DO understand but cannot speak back. I also explained to him that I left because they started smoking, and furthermore that I was NOT pleased with them calling me names thinking I ignorantly didn't comprehend what was being said. I'll be honest, for those of you who don't know me: I have wafer-thin skin, I really do. Things like this can really affect me easily. So I hung around for a bit longer, CJ and his girlfriend were nice to me and explained my voice is what made them think I was gay (My voice does have that lisp to it), but to say that my first experience socializing with locals was positive would be a gross over-exaggeration. Cini took me out to a nice restaurant near my dorm on Raday Utca (Street) called Puder, and we went to the Szimpla, a ruin bar and tourist attraction here in Hungary. WE didn't stay long, though, as everyone was shit-faced and vomiting. Not that I was surprised, seeing as it was a bar on a Friday night. I grabbed a cocktail and headed for the exits.

On Saturday, I woke up at noon and didn't do much. Cini went to work and I just hung around at home until she came home. Then my other cousin, Zsuzsi came over and we all chose to go out to the Danube for a Langos (Hungarian fry-bread. Some of the greatest shit on this planet; believe me!), and just to get out of the house. All goes fine here until Zsuzsi's daughter, Roza, swallows a leaf from the Danube. Unsure if it's poisonous, we rush her to a children's hostpital, and spend the better part of the next four hours waiting for service, and thankfully, Roza comes back clean, and unharmed after an analysis from the toxicologist. Cini and I had an enjoyable night, however, afterward. She made some popcorn, we drank a bottle of wine, and just talked about a lot of stuff. I really do love my cousin, Cini. She is someone I can just talk to about anything. She and I are really similar and it's just nice to have that connection with a family member out here in Hungary. 

I woke up at noon again on Sunday, but knew I'd need to get my act together fast, as I had an early wake up call the next day, as it was move-in day at Corvinus tomorrow! Cini got me a Hungarian phone, and we just spent some time at the marketplace on the Pest side of the Duna (Danube). I basically spent this day preparing for a dinner with a friend of mine who I knew in high school who was a foreign exchange student from Hungary when I was in high school. I met her sister, Zsofia, and we had dinner at the Menza Etterem es Kavezo in central Budapest. It's an amazing restaurant and I recommend it to anyone who goes to Budapest! They make fabulous goulash, langos, and other Hungarian staples there. That was a nice, relaxing end to a very hectic week.

This week here at Corvinus is only two days old and it's been even more hectic, but I'll give you updates on that tomorrow! 

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