Monday Morning just got better!

Today is Monday. The first day of the week. (duh?).

Today is also the day that there were freebies on the metro. Yes, along with my free hungarian 'metro' newspaper (which I practice reading...er...pronoucing but not understanding...), I got a free pen! I have no idea what the company is for (it's called Algoflex FORTE), but it is neon green and it has a light up light bulb on top...in terms of free givaways---its pretty high up there on the list...I have been using it all morning....I am now the crazy intern with the flashing pen (I guess the 'freebie' part is the fact that the light sort of has a mind of it's own, and decides when it wants to light up and when it doesn't...so it has been going on and off all morning).

Today is also a new post day, where I should probably get everyone caught up on the weekend of festivities here in Budapest....this weekend was BIG in terms of European pop music. Yes, that is right. It was EuroVision! So, for those who are not familiar with Euro vision, it is a singing contest where EU countries, plus those in their surroundings (like Switzerland (who actually didn't make it to the finals)Bosnia and Herzegovina, Azerbaijan, Israel, Russia), all send a singer and a song to compete for the top prize. It was sort of like a mix between American idol and America's got talent....I never knew what to expect! Some of the acts were really good, while others were very high on the 'entertainment' factor.....I really liked Apricot Stone, by Romania....

However, the WINNER was Germany! The singer's name is Lena, and she sang the song 'Satellite ', an English language song....It it very very catchy! in fact, I have been playing it all day! "Like a satellite, I'm all around you' ...okay, here Here's the proper chorus....

(Tempo(2/4..i think): tune: da (rest). da.(rest)da.(rest) dadida.(quarter rest) da. (rest)da.da.dadida.) (if this makes no sense, please do us all a favour and YouTube it :))
The Lyrics:

Love, Oh, Love
I gotta tell you how I feel about you
Cause I, Oh, I Can't go a minute without your love
Like a satellite I'm in orbit all the way around you
And I would fall out into the night
Can't go a minute without your love"

I was introduced to Euro vision by some of the other interns in Budapest. We were all gathered at one of the interns flats, and had pizza, salad, Hannah Montana sour cream and onion rings (no I am not kidding, they also come in Disney's Cars theme as well), and had a grand ole time. Most (if not all) are from European countries, so they were all very happy to answer all my (rather silly and million detailed) questions, and of course give the cultural background, insights, and explanations throughout the whole show! There was also a Euro vision pop quiz. As I was an 'observer' for the night, I was paired up with a very knowledgeable delegate, who was an expert quiz master on the topic of Euro vision (and I got a bit of a history lesson). Euro vision has been going on for YEARS! (and to think, I thought American Idol was novel when it first entered the airwaves way back when....2002?)...I guess it did come from the British version of Pop Idol...but I didn't know that until after the fact anyway...

Euro vision ended around midnight, which is also about the time that the clubs and bars go a roaring! So we decided to go out to this outdoor club in Buda. It was slightly interesting. It looked and felt like an amusement park, you had to pay to get a ticket, then put it in the turnstile to enter the 'club' (it was all outdorr, so really to get onto the grounds), when you get inside there were portables that where the washrooms (like those makeshift outdoor concert washrooms). The place was designed so it has a much of 'dance floors' all playing different music. There are also several terraces/patios with chairs and bistro tables in between, every little 'stall/stand/hit' sold beer, soft drinks, and mixed drinks, and there were colourful flashing lights every where, one person person in the group labeled it 'an amusement park without rides', he captured the look and feel beautifully!.

The music was also incredibly....achlectic...It started out like a typical club, dance hall, playing the standard top of the Euro charts, Lady gaga, Timbaland, Micheal Jackson etc. Then, well, then it changed to Back Street Boys "As long as you love me". (and for those interested, I still remembered ALL of the words, including Nick and Bryan's solo's). When BB came on, I instantly had visions of Hooley's (the best worst bar ever in Ottawa). I thought to myself, "hey, maybe this place will be the best worst bar in Budapest).

Then, well, then that vision faded...as Hungarian pop music came on, followed by a very horrible cover of 'eye of the tiger'........the vision completely disappeared when Jail House Rock, followed by Jitterbug, then.....the beginnings of the soundtrack to GREASE LIGHTENING......was chosen by the DJ as the 'next play list'....at that point all Hooley's comparasons ceased....this was also when we decided to call it a night....we weren't party poppers per say...it was after 3 ! (I will note that the place was still a'boppin').

Sunday was filled with me traveling to Obuda, the 'old' part of Budapest where the Celts settled! (it started to rain, so I didn't get much exploring done). I went to a very very very (times a million) good bakery and got a pastry and headed home. I stopped at a the West End Mall, (which I think was probably the size down town Ottawa.....) and looked around. I had heard that the very first (and only) Starbucks in Hungary was there, and well, after the rain, and with a pastry in tow, nothing would have made that moment better than a Bold Drip Coffee (which is a rarity in Hungary, in fact, the only drip coffee I have seen is flavoured, and there have been two choices so far, they 'brew' one flavour a day, so far it's been Rum and Raisin and Chocolate Truffle....eeeeewwww.....). The Starbucks wasn't open yet (but later on I saw staff leaving, so perhaps, they were on a training day, which means it will open soon!).

Zsinagoga---The Great Synagogue

Budapest is home to the 2nd largest Synagogue in the world (behind New York City). I decided that it might be cool to check it out. I had never been inside a Synagogue before, and well, I didn't really know what to expect at all....so off I went. It was beautiful inside. It did look a lot like a a Christian church, with a couple of things that gave away it's synagogue-y-ness.

Before the Holocaust, 25% of the population of Budapest were Jewish, however, just two months after the Natzi invasion of Hungary, Jewish people were sent to Auschwitz, many of these people worshiped at this very synagogue. 600 000 Hungarian Jews were killed. After the war this synagogue lad vacant for 40 years. However, after the fall of communism, a renewed interest, and a lot of 'American Jewish donations ' (as the tour guide explained) completely restored the church to its original form. The Synagogue wasn't completely destroyed because the Natzi's used it for their own purposes. They attached antenna's to the top of the two towers, and stored horses in the nave.....

As the guided tour of the Synagogue was about 1 buck more than just paying to enter, I decided to take the tour. It was in English, and our tour guide was really cool. Her late father was recently awarded a special distinction for hiding Jews in the Budapest Ghetto during the Second World War. He was Catholic (she clarified that her mother was Jewish), and so from what I understood, he would have had more mobility and freedom (loosely defined here). Anyway, I was the only person in the group who had never been inside a Synagogue before, but it was okay as she went through the history of the building, and key historical facts directly related to this Synagogue. I was beside an Israeli women and her Rabbi husband on my left, and a Romanian man and his wife (who translated from English to Romanian). It was pretty fascinating.

The Synagogue was built in 1859 and is loosley designed based on the biblical descriptions of the Temple pf Solomon in Jerusalem. As this is the first time I've ever been to a Synagogue, I can't really speak to how this one looks so much more like a church than others, but I was assured that it did by several reliable sources. :)
One of the reasons why this synagogue does have many similarities with Christian churches is because it was supposed to be in recongition of the efforts for integration and assimilation of the Jews who moved and settled in Pest throughout the late 18th and 19th centuries. It is located in the old Jewish Quarter of Budapest (which was also the Ghetto that Jews were forced to live in during WWI).

The synagogue can hold something like 3000 people in one service. The men sit on the ground level, and the women and children sit on the 2nd and 3rd floors (on High Holy Days), but I am not sure if they sit separately on a regular basis. According to the tour guide, the seats in the upper galleries are designed in such a way that you can't actually see who is sitting on the ground floor (or who is across in the other galleries for that matter). She said that the reason why it's like it is because the purpose of prayer, is to prey, and well you can't do that properly if you are checking out who is here (and who isn't). I really liked this tour guide :). (the women in the green sweater was the tour guide).

Behind that red cloth that looks like an 'alter' (sorry I didn't catch the proper term for it)...there are 25 scared Torahs (For safe keeping, they were actually buried in a cemetery by Catholic priests during the war). The chairs that are in that area are reserved for VIP only (the tour guides words, not mine)You can also see the Organ (this is not an orthodox synagogue), which was played by Franz Liszt during the inauguration of the synagogue!

After the tour of the synagogue (with plenty more details :)), we were taken outside to a courtyard where there was a cemetary. Here is where the Jews buried those who died in the Budapest ghetto during the Holocaust. There are some headstones here, but there are actually thousands of people buried here. In the early 1990s (during the renovations), the public was allowed to come an etch the names of any family members that they new were buried here. The Jews were sealed into a ghetto (by large stone walls they had to build themselves) behind the Synagogue during the occupation, and had nothing, many perished.

The passage way leds to the Tree of Life, a memorial designed by Imre Varga. It is supposed to be an upsidedown mennorah, with 4 000 leaves, all etched with the name of a victim in the Holocaust. It was really intricate, and the garden itself was very quiet and peaceful.In the garden there are also other monuments to commorate not sure Jews who perished, but also non-Jews who saved Jews during the war. The most famous person (at least in Hungary), was the Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg who, during the war, saved something like 35 000 Jews from Hungary by issuing them 'travel passes', or 'Wallenberg Passports' and set up houses for the safe passage of Jews out of Hungary. they were deemed 'safe' as Wallenberg flew the flags of Sweden and other neutral countries in front of these houses. He also follow the death marches (where Jews were made to walk hundreds of miles to camps), as well as the trains to Auswitz, distributing food and clothes and even, pulling people off the trains. He was quite a man. Sadly, he was arrested by Soviet troops, and out of confusion was sent to a gulag, where they think he died. There is a grave in this garden (along with other people's names close by) as a memento to him. One of the names is the name of the father of the tour guide. After the 'tour' the tour guide went off course and took us to the place where the they found parts of the original Ghetto wall. They found it in a construction site......and rebuilt part of it. To give you an idea of how much history is literally in people's backyards, to get to the actual wall (and plaque), you have to go through the atrium of a private apartment building to basically the back of the house.

It's really neat that the history of this region old, yet also so new, so raw, and so much woven into the daily lives of people (whether they realize or not).

Parliament and Traffic....am I in Ottawa?

Hello Hello,

This weekend is a long weekend. You can tell because the city isn't as busy as normal. Lake Balaton isn't too far from Budapest (1.5 hours driving). Apparently this is where the 'locals' go in early summer (before it become too full of tourists). This weekend, I thought about doing a couple of day trips to some local towns outside of Budapest, but then I just decided to stay here and relax. The weather has been just gorgeous, and I have taken advantage of this. After work on Friday, I decided to go over to Leopold Town (where parliament is) and take in more sights around there. Really I find that area very pleasant just to roam around, and well it was so nice outside, I couldn't resist.

I took a tram that runs along the Danube, with perfect views of the Buda side of the city. I had to pinch myself to make sure that I was actually on the rickety old tram, speeding down the Danube river. It was such a great feeling. I got off a Kossuth Ter, and walked over to parliament. My first stop was the gate near the Danube.

There was a really neat statue there. It is of a famous Hungarian poet, and the statue is supposed to a reenactment of one of his poems, sitting beside the danube on a blistering hot summer day'. It was a pretty cool statue (the details were Fabu! it was kind of haunting actually). I must also note that the statues in this city are all that detailed! They are just great!

Then I walked up to a barrier to look at the Buda sky line. This is the barrier, and what I saw as I was approaching the barrier.

When I got there I was immediately taken out of tourist la la land when I saw there was a huge traffic jam...... and of course the source of the traffic jam (I, of course, took a picture). What I found most interesting about this (besides the hilarity of watching a man push a car down a one lane city highway, while cars mount behind him), was the fact that cars were backed up by miles, I heard not a single car horn. No one was screaming, no one was shouting. It was very odd. I bonded with the security guard, who also thought the whole situation was funny :).


Then I decided to wander.....I had my RS book with me, so I looked to see if there was anything interesting to near where I was. There was.


This is the Postal Savings Bank. Designed by a guy named Odon Lechner. The roof top is spectacular, and uses colored mosaic tiles that are very 'Hungarian'. The molding on the top is supposed be look like bee hives, because hives are where bees store their honey, and well, this is where people were to store their money, so apparently there is a connection. Lechner is reported to have answered the following question "why such an intricate roof" by stating "i did it to please the birds". Amen.

Near there was St. Istvan's Basilica. Built in 1896 for the Hungarian millennial celebration, it isn't old (for european standards). There were three architects, with three different 'styles', which are reflected in the look and feel of the church itself. Neoclassical, Neo-renaissance and Neo-Baroque. I am not sure what that actually means, but you can tell that the design of the Basilica isn't exactly fluid....



The inside was really nice too (the statue in the middle is St. Istvan, who was the Magyar who converted the tribe to Christianity, at the time, Catholicism was the only 'choice'. The church also houses......the mummified right hand of St. Istvan. Yes, his"holy right hand" is still there in that little box that looks like a small house.


After I left the Basilica, I walked down the Zrinyi Utca. It's a pedestrian street filled with lots of eager tourists (and their camera's)....I stopped in front of a funny little statue. I am not sure what is is (RS didn't mention it, and there wasn't a plaque), but I thought it was cute. There were four Spanish people taking a photo while I was there, and the Spanish man asked if I wanted him to take a picture of me with the camera. I said "si si". He smiled :). This is the photo, while it was being taken I was wondering if I would get my camera back, or if he would run away with it. He didn't. :).

The end of Zrinyi Utca is the Danube river right by the chain bridge. You can still see the Basilica, it's huge eh?

At the bottom of the street I also saw a Canadian flag flying in front of the four seasons hotel....it was sort of exciting......then I wondered over to Vaci Utca (the huge shopping street), got 'stuck' in H & M due to a freak rain storm....and then headed home.....er...via three or four other shops....

The Prison Network and the Museum of TERROR

Hello Hello!

Everyday I walk from the Metro station to my office and thanks to European windy streets, I am able to take a million different routes and I take full advantage of that in the morning. (it could also be that I haven't had enough coffee and so I sort of walk in the general direction, and try to stay on course....which sometimes doesn't work as well). This morning my route took me past the Budapest Jail (I knew it was the Jail because J told me so on my first 'guided' tour of my immediate work surroundings). She even said that it is common to hear hooting and hollering from the prisoners- on occasion. Now, I have never been to jail (parental point!), nor have I ever really been to, or accessed, or seen up close any form of fully functioning jail. This one is 6 floors and takes up a full city block. The point is, it's cool. Max told me that in Europe it is common to have large, fully operational jails in the city centres....I guess we north American's take advantage of all the space we have....or I am totally ignorant of any jails located in Urban areas of Canada (which is completely possible).

Anyway, back on track...this morning, they were transporting prisoners from the jail. It was pretty cool as they had a barricade over the street (perhaps to deter prisoners who want to 'wander off'). There were also about 4 officers standing and waiting...... Then I took a closer look at the jail, and noticed a gold plaque. It was a commemoration for something. When I got to work I googled it and well like almost everything in Europe, it has a history. The jail was used for some very unpleasant times in Hungary's past, including the site of torture and interrogation during the communist era. I also found out that the area where the jail is located, in Nagy Imre ter is also the headquarters of a lot of the Budapest crime and justice services. Nagy Imre (remember him from the parliament?), well, in the building across from the ter, is where he was sentenced to death in 1958 for the wrong doing committed during the uprising of 1956. This uprising occurred in Budapest, and was directed towards the communist regime that was ruling the country (He was one of the dissidents in the uprising...leading the anti-communist groups).

This little segway also very conveniently leads right into the Museum of Terror post, which is the museum that Max and I visited when he was here! The Museum of Terror is also a jail, but it not operating (as it is a museum). It presents the history of the building (that was first used by the Natzi's (the Arrow Cross party) for holding, torturing and killing people, and then by the Communist regime, to well, achieve the same ends).

There was a short 'intermediate' period in between, where the jail was used as a 'club house' headquarters for the communist youth groups as well. In giving the history of the building, they also present the history of the 50 years of occupations, the life and culture at the time. There were three floors. and a basement 'cellar' where all the torture chambers were located. You first have to make your way around the second floor,  where there is an exhibition of the occupations of the Natzi's and then the Soviets. It also give a coles notes version of 20th century Hungarian military history.  There was also a section with old propaganda...which I thought was really cool. Then you make your way to a very slow elevator down to the basement, while watching a movie about the torture cells. It was very sombre, dark, and cold. The third floor was not open to the public and the first floor is the main lobby with a couple of things to see (this is also the only floor you are allowed to take pictures in).

The picture on the right is what you see as soon as you walk into the main part of the Museum. The faces on the wall are of the people who were killed in the prison, a grim reminder of the victims of the prison.... The tank in the middle of the atrium is a Soviet T-54 tank, "symbolizing the looming threat of violence that helped keep both regimes in power." (RS).

Sorry no more photos (you weren't allowed to :()).

The Danube Embankment- Holocaust Memorial

The other day I decided to wander along the Pest side of the Danube embankment. It was a warm and sunny day, and well, it was nice just to by (a fairly polluted) river. hehe. The weather here has been a little crazy. It seems to thunder and storm then three minutes later the sun comes out again.Then the whole process starts again. We are into day four or five of this pattern (and it is reaking havoc on what to bring when I leave the house).....umbralla, sweater, coat, sunscreen, sunglasses, sandles or shoes...really, it could make a person mental! However, the crazy cloud movement makes the sky really cool to look at (including how the sun peeps out of the clouds). Look, here is an example. As I was walking along the embankment, I saw the St. Mathias church...look how the sun shines on it! Cool, eh?

I also walked by the Chain Bridge (again), and decided to take a picture of myself. You know, being a tourist allows you to do things like this :). SO here I am at the bridge. I also noticed that I there was something on my face. It was brown, and perhaps the remnants of the chocolate ice cream that I had had TWO hours before.

Just after the chain bridge, is the last entry point for the embankment. From there until the next bridge crossing the Danube, the only way to get off the Embankment is to run across the highway, past the pedestrian barrriers (which I may or may not have done). In this section, however, there is one small memorial that I really wanted to check out. It is a memorial to commemorate the half a million Hungarian Jews who were killed by the Hungarian Natzi Party (the Arrow Cross). It was probably one of the most powerful and chilling places and memorials I have ever been to. It seemed too real. I remembered reading at the museam of terror that the Arrow Cross party (the Natzi 'puppet' party in Hungary) executed jews during WWI by shooting them on this very embankment, allowing them to fall into the 'icy' Danube. The shoes were meant to represent these killings, with their shoes as as a reminder of their lives, their existence, and their tragic death...

The place was so open, so vulnerable, so... chilling. The detailing on the shoes made me get closer to them to make sure that they were actually bronze and not leather, some had candles in them, others had flowers. The shoes looked so real you could imagine a person wearing them, a person who once lived, it was the first time I had been at a memorial that was so humanistic, that really made me feel like the memorial was dedicated to the people not the horrible things that happened to them.

Stalin once said " one death is a tragedy, one million is a statistic". I can tell you that this memorial made the half a million Hungarian Jews, and the six million European Jews, a tragedy.

Living like a local...or not?

Living in Budapest, is well, similar to living anywhere. I mean, you sleep, you wake, you eat, you chatter, you shop, you play sports....I guess my point is that while there are definitely things that are different between Ottawa and Budapest, it is still a place where I can relax and live relatively stress free. While I can't communicate as much as a would like, the city still is so mechanic that I can free to wander, to experience new sights, sounds and smells regardless of the obvious communication barriers. That is my favorite part of traveling. Sadly (or not sadly?), my routine really hasn't changed much from what is was in Ottawa, and maybe that stability is allowing me to manage all the other crazy things.

Living with someone who is also not a native to Budapest, or Hungary, has also been interesting. We exchange stories about 'our countries' and 'customs' and well...everything...these stories usually come out in conversations that start off with 'I can't find this, or I was at this store trying on this...or this language is difficult..or I miss peanut butter (okay, that one's mine). It's also funny that we seem to encounter similar problems living in this city....

In any case, there are days when I really feel like a local ( the days when I walk by a beautiful building and no longer stop and stare at it for 5 mins (I am down to 60 seconds). Others......well.....those are the tourist 'i am allowed to be ignorant' days....those are also the days that I smile alot, and also the days are are stress-riden....because it frustrates me when I can't say what I want to say to get want I want :D

So, right, back to post. I do have some (funny) stories about being a local and well, a non-magyarian.....

Its sort of hard to report on things like 'living like a local' probably because, well, I guess as humans we remember extremes, and well the blessing of knowing local customs is that well the local customs become so routine, that they aren't extreme anymore. For example, I know now where the Metro Police station themselves on the metro system, I tend to grocery shop everyday at the 'daily markets', which is pretty normal here as stocking and storing food is not. (I also know where the 50% off bins are (for all those people who have had to experience my frugal ness, when things are on sale, they really are (and that just makes the game of 'find the bargain' so much more fun!. Also, for those those who have experienced my "but this food is expired I can't eat it... you HAVE seen NOTHING...when it comes to 'this food is bad'...well some stuff that is in the 50% off bins (and hell, on some shelf's) are acutally Mouldy! .)

Back to story: Living like a local also means that I have (timed) the trams, metros, I know where the connections are best and which are not, and well, I have learned to love the fun tunes that play on the yellow line (it sounds like the ice cream man). I now no longer take coffee with me anywhere, I know not to expect the American 'customer service' as a store or bar (which is great, I don't get pestered by sales people!). Another important direction thing is that I now know which lines go where, and which direction! (this is big as it took be YEARS to figure that one out in Ottawa...haha). It actually kind of hard to think of other things as well, I probably am not even aware of them...

Having local staff at the embassy has greatly improved my ability to find the best local everything. They showed me where the best pastry shop in the city (sorry Bridgehead, but their croissants are better...for the person who introduced me to Bridgehead croissants...there is now a good reason to make a stop in Budapest), they've also told me where to go to shop (the best malls, which I must say counter the travel books (I agree with the locals)), places to see (and not see), and even the tourist places that are actually worth seeing, and well everything from 'how do I order this' to 'how does this cell phone work' to 'please explain why you said 'leader of the opposition' was so Canadian. One also even told me about awesome second hand stores! I guess using them as a source of information has been a catalyst for me during this 'settling in phase'. so thanks!


Now onto the Non-Magyarian... I find it a bit more amusing....

Story one:

Today I went to Spar to buy some things for my personal picnic in City Park (to be blogged in a bit, complete with photos for you Kristina :)). I also wanted to price compare items such as toilet paper, hand wash, dish soap, coffee etc. between Spar (pronounced Sh-par) and the Dizscounters (old 'communist' stores...they are somewhere in between Dollarama and a corner store). We are running out, and it's my turn to replace them....

Anyway, I was in line to pay and a man (who has restocking beer (actually I think it was 'spiked' lemonade), looked at me, started to wave his hands, then began a long monologue directed at me. I shook my head and said "Nem Magyar (Mye-yyyar)". Literally translated I said "No Hungary". Oh man, I need to improve my language reflexes...Anyway, he understood that I hadn't a clue as to what he was saying. He then looked at the women ahead of me and asked her something. Then the conversation was over.....but the actions were not, as when another person came up to queue behind me, the women ahead of me looked at him as said something that meant (or what I think it meant), "she is the last person in line as the till is closing". This went on for about 5 people, literally, they would queue, I would look at the women a head of me, she would talk. I was mute, and she was my voice.....at one point there was an elderly women behind me (I didn't notice, so I think she was standing there for a while). Anyway, I ended up having to pat the women ahead of me on the shoulder to tell the women behind me that she wasn't supposed to be there....that got intense as I think tapping on the shoulder is a no, no, and I think the elderly women was angry that she had waited....(she looked at me and said something)....it was slightly tense. I smiled a half 'happy' and half '...er' smile.

Story two:

Last weekend Max and I went to the mall, simply because it was the only dry place in our immediate surroundings and I wanted to take a second stab at working my way through all the processes involved in buying something (think about all the questions, comments, requests, and general conversations that you have when you walk into Aldo and want to buy a pair of shoes...many...). Anyway, we went into a jeans store, and I saw a rack of jeans and went over to look at them. Truth be told, I went there because I looked like the sale rack :). The rack didn't have anything special on it (wait, yes it did. all the 'fashion' jeans had bleach, buckles, bells, leg zippers and sparkles on them). They were all the same size too...I thought it was a pretty horrible sale rack. SO then I went over to the wall of jeans and started to pull some out (to get my size). The sales women was staring at me the whole time, while pointing to the sales rack. I was confused. Finally an English speaking person came up to me and said "all the jeans that are on the wall are displayed on that rack over there (pointing to the 'sales' rack). I immediately felt bad (as I obviously ruined the perfectly folded display)......living like a magyarfailure.....Oh well, now I know for next time, right?


Intermission:
I guess this is what 'culture shock' is. I am living as a 'fish out of water' so to speak. Traveling to another country (or even place), really opens your eyes up to self reflect on where you came from. Really, its the times when I apply my unconscious canadian'custom', and I fail miserably at achieving my ends (or I get odd, angry, or happy 'what the heck is she doing' looks) that I realize that what I did was not what they do. This I guess is what I mean when I say that one become an actual local only after being somewhere long enough to pick up those subtle bevavioural patterns.

I took a class once called 'the anthropology of everyday life', which was about how to write about 'daily life' and the challenges of this writing when entering a new culture. I think it is pretty cool that I am living a lot of the stuff that she spoke about (and what i read about). This is a serious fusion of theory and practice my friends.

Story three:

So as I speak of daily life, I should probably also report on the funny things that I found in Budapest (that while aren't particularly funny are just interesting from my semi outsider perspective, and from a communication perspective). It will be a photo gallery!

The first one has no photo (I fail). But it's funny. It has to do about Poppy Seeds. Poppy seeds (along with sour cherries and walnuts and sour creme and turo) are pretty much a staple here. There is Poppy seed (Makos) is alot of things including ice cream. I was on Vaci Utca the other day look for ice cream. I saw a flavour called 'opium'. I took me half a second to realize that by opium they meant 'poppy seed', however, during that half second I thought to myself 'wow, they sell opium in ice cream form, wow, it think that is illegal in Canada, I know that's an issue in Afghanistan, can I get addicted with only one scoop, is this breaking a local law? what if my mom finds out?, and wondered if I should buy it (just to be cool). (I guess a lot of thoughts went racing through my mind). I went for pistachio instead. :)

Story 4

So NOW some funny translations and pictures of things that I thought were kind of funny (in my fish out of her water frame mind).

I wonder what they mean by 'operate in a normal way', and why are they so excited?







They do have Hot Dogs here. This one is from Tesco. It is very clearly labeled. If you click on it, you will see it looks like plastic.....and I think there is a reason why none had been taken off the shelf. There were more things....but I had to sneak the photos.....:) Maple Syrup! (please note how they have depicted 'Canada'). Joe. I am Canadian. :) More stories of bpest coming up! (promise)!

Today.

Today was another one of those 'typical' days. It actually felt kind of nice, and I am really starting to feel as much 'at home' as I possibly can. I even read and understood my first advertisement on the metro today. Okay, fine, it was only two words Uj Nissan! (which means New! Nissan), but hey, I still read it, right?

On the language front, listening to the radio at night has also improved my ability to at least decipher words in Hungarian. Sure, I very little understanding, but I figure that perhaps recognizing when one word ends and a new one begins is a good start. I also always know when they agree as they say Egen, and of course Kosonom (sapen), which means thanks very much!

Riding home on the metro, I had my first interaction with a real European footie. Okay maybe he wasn't a professional soccer player, but he sure looked like one. He was a bit taller than me, wearing a black long sleeve nike soccer shirt like was slightly dusty, green and yellow shorts, dark green high socks, white soccer shoes and was holding a green soccer ball in both in hands. He was clean shaven, his hair was neat and clean cut. His feet were shoulder width apart. He didn't make eye contact, or move until he made a three step pivot to get off the tram. He looked like he was a poster for nike soccer. I almost poked him to make sure he was real. It was spooky. (don't worry, I didn't poke him, I realize that is not socially acceptable, and well just weird to do that..and..I also think it could be considered a form of assault....).

Work today was also good. I finally moved into my office with a functioning computer. The weather has been utterly crappy (it reminds me of Ottawa...in the early spring...cold...wet...on and off showers....). So today, I decided to take advantage of the overcast sky (which is the best we've had all week), and go for a walk at lunch. I ended up at the Danube, and it was nice, even if it is terribly residential. Oh well. I also got a few new tasks, and am starting to work on some stuff for Bosnia and Her. (BiH). That should be cool. I really want to try and get to Sarajevo while I am here, but it is pretty far, too far to go by train for a weekend...perhaps if I can find flight I will try and fly there....

This weekend is a long weekend here! yay it's may 2-4. Richard gave me some suggestions of places I could go, and while they all seem very nice, I actually think I just want to stay here. I am sort of tired of being 'lost'-at least for now. Plus there is so much to do here! I still haven't made it to the baths!

After work I dropped by Spar, and they had a tray of veggies on sale for 50% off, from 399 HUF to 200 HUF. I decided that 1 dollar for cut veggies that 'expired' today was a good deal so I bought them. When I got them home I wondered what to do with them. I had about three cups of chopped carrots, a whole onion, one clove of garlic, some green herb that I couldn't figure out, four long pieces of parsnips and some cabbage. I decided that I should make soup with then (and bought a potato (for 20 HUF) and zucchini(60 HUF) to add to the mix). I got home and cut up the onion, potato and zucchini, threw in the veggie plate, some water and a veggie bouillon cube, two types of paprika (sweet and spicey) and 30 mins later I had soup! I also used up the rest of my fel kilo of kolbasca, by cooking it, then adding it to the soup kind of like bacon (this is the fel kilo that I bought the second day I got here. the one that was the length of my arm and then some! Finally it's gone!!). While it was cooking, I decided to Google what the packing said on the 50% off veggie plate, and it literally translated to "perfect vegetative soup". I laughed. Cheap dinner and funny coincidence. I like it :)

Hope all is well please send me updates on your lives. There is only so much fb stalking I can do!

Toodles from bpest!

P.s Catherine, on andy's FB group there is a photo of a pet ambulance. It made me think of fred and laya.....and their dates with pet taxi cabs.

Gittyness, MRPs and Hungarian Music

First work night. Today at work was pretty cool as I experienced/participated/wrote/completed my first and second diplomatic task today.....to was pretty exciting for a nerdy person like me. But I am allowed to be tickled pink to get an email from the Ambassador saying that he liked and approved something that I co-wrote. right? This excitement made me realize that I should put my eloquent writing (and horrible editing) skills to work....so now I am acutally spending the night focusing on my MRP. For those who are unfamiliar with the MRP...it is the Major Research Paper component of my degree and the last thing I need to do in order to get my degree. I have been 'writing' this since January.....and it is due AT THE LATEST next April, but I don't want to be writing this in Australia. So for me, it is DUE ASAP!

As MRP is starting....this post will be short stints of thoughts from the day....like an extended FB/Twitter post:

1) Listening to hungarian radio in the background. All the English music is from the 1980s and 1990s. and I just heard Bon Jovi's "It's my life" in Hungarian. At the moment, it must be a Bon Jovi marathon of some sort because now they are playing living on a prayer. Its Tom Jones Sex Bomb!

2) This makes me want to research some information about Hungarian Pop stars to present the blogosphere (and everyone who reads me :). The Hungarian top 40 is currently populated with many of the songs that are on the top 40 around the globe, with some Hungarian additions. (for those interested, Number one is Fight for this love. BUT the top album is the Hungarian singer pop start heart throb.....Tabani Istvan (or, in English Istvan Tabani as in HU they reverse surnames and given names). I am listening to a song called Ments Meg! it's and intense love song. or a song about something desperate....it reminds me of 'hopelessly devoted" from Greese. It probably shouldn't but it does. But then again, Ments Meg literally means Save Me! so who knows eh? But I would caution this analysis as most people know, my brain makes very odd connections to try and recognize and remember things. Remember cicero and cereal?

Bon Bon, who hold the highest chart song (sitting at 2) is a softer sound, this one sounds like it should be in a Disney movie...scored by Phil Collins or something..... The lead singer of Bon Bon sort of looks like bono (he wears the dark sunglasses). The lead guy also plays the flute. kind of cool. there music seems very wholesome and just fun. I feel like I should hug someone at the moment....too bad the only person here is my roommate, who might think it odd that I go into her room to give her a hug....

The Weekend :)

Well, Yes, I have been away the past three days, but I had my first visitor!

Yup, that's right, I was a quasi tour guide this weekend to Max. It was great fun, minus the rain! and boy did it rain! However, as I have three WHOLE days to catch up on, I will spread the posts out over the week! (it will also save me from posting 'interpretive' grocery store conversations...).

Anyway, to get you up to sped on the meticulous details of my life since I last posted. Here is it, in one paragraph. The weekend was great, as we went to a museum and a cool club (to be covered in their own blogs), to the castle and we also went to a couple of really nice restaurants. It was nice having a visitor to be able to go out at night with (and explore the city). I no longer had to talk and converse with RS (Rick Steves).

So this is the play by play:

Thursday night Max arrived. Arrival didn't go as smoothly as possible because he didn't know what buzzer number to call at my apartment. I think I remember sending it to him, but I also sent him a million other things, so chances are it got lost in passing. Anyway, I was on FB doing nothing in particular (except for stock people, of course). Suddenly, i got a message from him asking me to message him my buzzer number. He was at an internet cafe up Mester Utca...he found the internet cafe by asking a man in Arabic where 'internet' was. Who would have thunk. The Schwarma (here they call them Gyros actually) man, speaks Hungarian and Arabic, and since Max knows some Arabic (internet being one of that 'some'), he found me! The world is a very globalized place.

When he arrived he brought with him a bag of presents! These presents included 100ml of peanut butter (which you cannot buy in grocery shops, and which I think of as comfort food). On that note, I think I could probably get it at the expat shop. I will check it out, but a box of crisco sells there for something like 25 bucks, so who knows how much PB would be. While the PB is not kraft (it's the health food store kind), it is still super yummy! (I have to ration it as 100 ml is really not enough to a Canadian who normally keeps three different types of PB stocked in her pantry. Smooth, Crunchy AND natural .... you never really know what type you'll crave). It was only 100ml, because checking bags on cheap European flights is very expensive, and 100 ml is the maximum you can bring of a liquid.......

He also brought me a pair of very warm socks (which will be super useful as the weather at the moment is rainy and cold).

He also brought a new Hungarian phrase book, as I misplaced mine last week and have been sans linguistic aid since then....

and....an old cell phone that I could buy a sim card for, so I would have some form of communication beyond my computer....

and...an alarm clock that has a radio. Now I can put to rest my little blue travel alarm clock that makes a very annoying noise in the morning, and has a very unreliable snooze button....

and...and...

finally....
he brought me a hard drive. a tetragazillion gigabit hard drive filled with ENGLISH MOVIES and TV shows. yay! I am not really a huge movie and TV watcher, but I tell yah, alone in a city with two English TV channels (both are horrible news channels that repeat every 49 minutes), really makes you miss English media.

He also said I could hold onto the hard drive to store all the movies. We watched two this weekend (as the rain barred some of our outdoor 'city park' activities).

So right, back to the story.....Friday I went to work. The IT guy J was finally there (he was out of bpest for the last few days). He was able to fix and sort of some stuff with my computer, and I also got a cell phone. yay. Now I have two phones. One isn't hooked up yet though. However, email me and I will send you the number and then you can call for any emergencies. Apparently it is free for me at least if you call me :). I can also trans-continental text....but I am not sure if that will cost a kazillion dollars or not.....anyone want to test it with me?
After work (which ends at 1 30ish on Friday), I met up with Max and we went and toured Castle Hill. This time I got to be the RS and show him everything (it was fun!). We went for coffee at the Kavehuss called Ruszwurm, which was really nice. It is really neat and small. You feel like you are in someone's parlor having coffee and pastries. I sort of screwed up the ordering (confused gram with decagram), and we ended up with too many of these 'salty' scones, but that meant we had extras for dinner and snacks the whole weekend. I didn't take any pictures (because the place was so small and quaint that I felt weird), but check out the website! I couldn't decide what I wanted, so I will definitely have to go back! (for those interested, I chose a Tirol Strudel with Meggyes (cherry), we also tried these things called pogácsa, which are called 'salty tea cakes'. They were salty alright. very salty, but flaky and pretty good....the pogácsa, was also the thing I got the weights confused with...so we had ALOT of them).

After that we continued walking around the castle. This time there was no wine festival so we got to walk around the other side and see a great view of Pest, including the parliament (that square building is one of the baths!) and the chain bridge (the centre and left photos!). We then walked over the chain bridge over to pest, down through Roosevelt Square, through to Vaci Utca (which is the main tourist drag). It has a bunch of shops and 'traditional' Hungarian restaurants. (by 'traditional' I mean they are targeted at tourists, so the food isn't truly 'authentic', but the prices are!). After that we made our way back to the apartment so I could change (out of my work clothes) and then head down to the Okotogon for dinner. We also were going to meet up with some people who work at the embassy. We went for dinner at a hungarian restaurant called 'Menzes'. It was a 1970 deco place that served traditional hungarian cuisine. I had pork and sauerkraut. and well all I can say was that it was incredibly salty. In fact, I really only ate the pork and a bit of the sauerkraut for my blood pressure's sake. Max had a Hungarian version of steak and mushrooms. We also had some Hungarian beer (which is nice and light, and a good summer beer! (no more ales!)). For the starters we had PICKLED PEPPERS and a garlic soup that came with a smaller version of a Lángos. It was very....Hungarian....

After dinner we met up with some of the younger people who work at the embassy (both Canadians and some Hungarians too!). We went out to this bar called "" which is a ruin pub, a type of pub that is apparently really known in Budapest, and well not so much outside of Budapest. The pub is not really a pub persay...it was actually an old three story apartment building 'converted' to a pub. I use converted very losely as all they really did was remove the doors from all the rooms. You are free to roam around and choose a place to sit and drink your drink (the two photos on the right are the main courtyard (which becomes out doors as the roof slides off), and an example of a 'room' you can just sit an have a drink in!). There was a hug bar on the ground floor and one on the second floor. In the basement there was a dance floor placing Hungarian folk/dance music. It was pretty cool. here are a couple of pictures of the bar. I will post a full blog devoted to it later on this week!) There was also an 'American hot dog stand'.

We left the bar around 1 30, and the trams had stopped running so we had to take our first 'night bus'. It was basically a bus filled with young pepper at various levels of intoxication. We weren't worse for wear, having eaten a large meal and had only one beer. It was interesting though! There were a couple of English speakers on the bus (and sadly a pick pocketer). He didn't manage to get the girls wallet but max saw him try!

Saturday we got up in the morning and headed for the Museum of Terror (which will be another separate post). In a nut shell, the museum was really interesting and very well presented! I brought RS with me (as he has a chapter on this Museum), and it proved to be very useful (it also meant that I didn't have to buy a head set!). Max thought the RS book was very 'American'. and well I guess it is (as all the humour and cultural references, focus on 'cheapest' things are American-related). But, I get the jokes and gladly translated :).

After the Museam of Terror we went for lunch/coffee/cakes and a Hungarian Canadian owned, newly restored, coffee house in Andrassy Utca about a block from the Museum. It was wonderful! The place was recommended by the trade commissioner at the Embassy (just doing her job :)). It was fabu! Here's what it looked like inside. We had a Lesco stew, which is a traditional Hungarian stew made of sausages, paprika, onions, tomato, and egg. the bread was made on the premises! It was actually very very good, and I am going to try and recreate it! For dessert we had a chocolate moose bomb that was milk chocolate with chocolate, caramel and peanuts and a poppy seed cake with lime icing. Both very good (however, I liked the poppy seed cake the best). I took pictures of them all, because I am a nerd.

After Luckas we went to the mall. It was raining and we didn't really want to go home yet, and well most things in Bpest at 4pm on a sat were closed. Except for the mall. So there we went. We wondered around. I showed max all the interesting stores (and he gawked at all the German owned ones). Then we came home, had dinner (which was a hole bunch of 'Hungarian' things we got at Match, one was a 'prepared egg' that turned out to be a deviled egg (I added paprika to it as we do at home!) point for me!).

Sunday we went to the grand market hall. But it was closed. I thought it was open on Sunday but closed on Mondays (here it's either or). Turns out this market is closed on Sundays, open on mondays! SO we walked up Vaci utca again...this time it was POORING rain and well it was a bit cold and rainy. I thought max had a plan, and he thought I did, so we both 'followed' each other for a hour. Then I got really cold and was already wet so I demanded we stop and figure out a plan. We went to a coffee shop to warm up and decided that seeing as it was pooring rain we should just go home and watch a movie...by pooring rain I mean POORING, WINDBLOWING.


just finished dinner and am going to start to watch Chocolat from my new hard drive. Work and MRP tomorrow!!!

Jess

p.s catherine---send me your address!
Mum, did you get the floors done? (I saw millie's post of FB).
Dad, kelly, pat,,,send updates!!!

It's a Rainy Day In Budapest!

Well, like the title of this post says....it is a rainy day in Budapest. This means that there were ample amounts of crazy people out today (and on the metro, one man was passed out and I swear I saw about a dozen people that just looked drunk).

I stopped at the store today (I seem to go everyday, I can't handle too long in those stores, as it actually takes a very long time just to find even one thing!). Anyway, right, so I was in the line to pay, and there was a guy in front of me who looked a bit too young to be buying beer, which is of course available at every supermarket, dizcount store and corner store in the city. The check out lady was thinking the same thing. Although the conversation between the guy(G) and the check-out lady (COL) was completely in Hungarian, I feel as if I understood it all based on their non-verbal communication. it went like this:

COL: You are too young to by discounted beer (the can was very dented), let me see some ID
G: Oh common, really? you think I am too young? I am not too young.
COL: I won't scan the can until I see ID, you don't look old enough
G: really? I think that's silly, I don't really want to show you id, just let me pay (hands the money to her)
COL: Nope, I won't let you leave with the beer until I see ID
G: fine (shrugs, goes into his wallet and gets his ID out, shows the COL).
COL: Good, that will be 310 HUF
G: takes the beer
COL: shakes her head (and to me says something in Hungarian). I sort of envisioned it being something like "That guy was already drunk(which it did seem as if this were the case). I can't believe he was of age"
Jess: Smiles, agrees with a head nod, and says Kosonom! THen leaves.

That is my story.

Today was a good day at work, I met the ambassador, which was really neat. Then I found out that the IT guy will be back tomorrow, so perhaps I will be able to move into my office!

Yay!

Also, Max comes tonight! He's here for the weekend (and I promise, that while blogging might be limited, I will def. have some great new tourist stories and pictures for posting). THis will make the blog a bit more interesting too!

Toodles!

Jess

Day II

Day II,

I think as the days past, and the novelty of a new place wears off, I am starting to really settle in to living here.... while I've only been here for almost a week, I already am starting to become a bit more comfortable in my surroundings. My 'traveler' mentality is starting to fade....and I hope to get into some sort of routine (or else my MRP will NEVER get written!).

While yesterday was my first day, today was really my first day, as the time for meet and greet was over, and well it was my turn to get down to business and start working, applying what I have learned to the real world. So far, the most important thing that I have been given is to become acquainted with the country level and regional politics. Learning the political structure, names and faces is perhaps the more fascinating- and most confusing part learning about a country. It also made the day feel very long... all this 'newness' is pretty exhausting!

SO far, so good.

I also got another phrase book today (which is good, because I lost mine on SUnday and have been sans linguistic aid since then!). I think I might have left it on a bench outside Ikea.....oh well. I have decided to concentrate on learning numbers now...because those are important...especially 1-10 and perhaps 1-100. So far a similarity be French, English and Hungarian can be found in their number system, (yes!). as after 10 the next number is literally 10-1 (eleven), 10-2 (twelve), 10-3 (thirteen), 10-4 (fourteen). So knowing one to ten, then each multiple of 10 after that to one hundred will vastly increase my vocabulary! I also found out today that the measurement system here uses kilos and decagrams (which are multiples of 10). This might explain why I got a funny look when ordering 10 decagrams of something....).

For those of you who wish to read about every detail of my live, after work I went to the DM, which is the German equivalent to Boots and Shopper's Drug Mart. Goal: Mouth Wash, teeth flossers, and shampoo. Outcome: success. Actions to achieve goal: analyzed the German words on the mouth wash bottle (thank gosh you can actually read German out loud in English, and it sort of sounds like either some odd accent in English, or something very literal. (to do this I had to peel back the Hungarian language sticker that was plastered on top of the German). For the shampoo, I smelt them, and settled on Dove...as it smelt most like home, and well frankly the mouth wash translations were tiring enough. The tooth picker floss things were easy...just had to look for them.... Max comes tomorrow (yeah!), I may take him back to DM to be a free translator!

After the DM, I stopped at the Spar for a snack ( I still haven't gotten the nerve up to going to the very scrumptious smelling pastry shops that are at every metro stop, and every other street corner, I really need to hurry up and become more confident in Hungarian!). There I also bought this bread that looks like Challah, but there seems to be dark and light bread mixed together, its marbled!. That was exciting. Then I ended up on the red metro line instead of the blue, only slightly changing my route home.

When I got home I wrote a 'article' for the uOttawa 'blog' that I have to contribute to, and now, well I am writing on this one. the uOttawa blog was actually harder than I thought....I didn't really know what to write about! When it is posted, I will post it here...but I promise you, it's not as exciting or photo-laden is this one is!


I also started to do some laundry....and of course, the laundry machine is vastly different than north American versions of laundry machines...how to describe? well, for starters, the machine is top loading, but the barrel that the clothes go in is actually in the same position as a north American front loading laundry machine. You have to physically 'open' the barrel (after you open the separate lid), and put in the clothes. The lid has 4 different dispensers on it...and the pictures don't really say much regarding what goes where...I decided to wash the towels first....just in case.....I am fearful of putting in the rest of my clothes...not because I am afraid that they will be ruined....more that I don't want to have to deal with shopping for new clothes....its no fun shopping when you need something!


It is getting late here, so, in the vain hope that I can get to bed early tonight....I should head off!

Happy rest of day everyone!

Jess

First Day on the Job

Today was my very first day on the job. The embassy is in the Buda side of Budapest, and when I exit the metro I have a beautiful view of the Hungarian Parliament (the photo on the right is my view when I exit!). It takes about 30-45 minutes to get there in the morning. Maybe less. There are about a million different ways I could go, and well I haven't figured out which way is the fastest. Today I took the metro and then walked. I actually ended up walking to the metro station (because I missed my tram). It turns out that the trams literally run every 3 minutes, so I should have just waited for the next one (I guess I was thinking of OC transpo and the TTC schedules....lol). The metros run every 4.5 minutes (they have clocks in the stations that measure the time!).

The people at work seem very nice and eager. It was also nice to talk to people in English, and ask the burning linguistic questions to an anglophone who might understand my confusion....I did find out that the proper pronunciation of my name in Hungarian is literally YEA-shi-saw. yup. that's right..I guess my name isn't exactly as 'international' as I had hoped it could be. I also made a new tea friend! yay!

Starting my first day I was a little nervous. I mean first days are always a bit nerve racking, but I had the added stress of the potential for getting lost (which of course I did... I would like to call it an 'unanticipated detour' through central Buda....hehe). When I got there I also wasn't really sure what to say other than 'Hi I am the new Intern'. I mean I have started new jobs before where the person at the front wasn't aware that I was coming,It's always a bit awkward.......oh well, I made it through the day. As per usual, as an intern, you are sort at the bottom of the totem poll. This means that I have yet to get a permanent desk or space as of now. I actually think it might be nice to move around for a while in order to get to know everyone.

So far, I haven't really made any real 'friends' but its only the first day.

After work, I decided to take a small detour across the Danube to check out the Hungarian Parliament up close. It was beautiful! As I carry my RS book pretty much everywhere, I decided to see what he had to say about the nearby surrondings. I didn't go through his whole tour (I was waaay to tired to attempt that), but I did read about several interesting monuments that are near the parliament. I shoud say that Hungary has a unicameral parliamentary system of governance, and the head of state is the Prime Minister (who is elected by the Members of Parliament, who are elected by the people). In order to become a MP the person has to win at least 50% of the votes in their riding, so there are several rounds of voting (where the bottom candidates in each round are cut out, etc). The parliament is mix member proportional. This means that some of their MPs are directly elected by the people, while others are nominated via party lists according to each party's percentage of the popular vote.


Across the street from the parliament there is a neat statue standing on a bridge (left photo). He is meant to 'watch over parliament' to ensure that they are law abiding (the photo on the right). His name is Imre Nagy. He was a famous politician whose job it was to made Stalin's communist regime less harsh. He wasn't beloved by the Soviets, who arrested and killed him. After the fall of communism in 1989, he was named a national hero, and a statue was erected in his honor.

I also walked by liberty square, which is a controversial square commemorating the Soviet liberation of Hungary from the Natzi's. The significance of the square is a bit perplexing though, as while the soviets did liberate Hungary from the Natzi's, the soviety reign on the country for the next 40 years wasn't exactly warmly regarded either. But as RS questions, " Does their leader's oppression of the Hungarians make these soldiers' sacrifice less worthy of being honoured?" (pg 125). Its quite a question, eh? I can say that the monument is fenced off.....so you can't get up close....or so others can't destroy it...

After that I walked around the area a bit more (beautiful buildings!). Then stopped for a too-roh -rodi (this one has a Hazelnut centre, which was a bit nicer as it wasn't pure cheese). I am now home, exhausted from the day....and trying to figure out if I really want to attempt to make dinner on the one element that currently works in my apartment....you wouldn't think this would be a problem, but making rice or pasta + a sauce of some sort it a bit of a challenge with only one element (and no microwave!). oh well. Hopefully I can get this fixed.... I am out of Listerine.....so tomorrow I have to attempt to find some......

Last day as a tourist.....Andrassy utca and Hero's Square

Well, today, I am sad to say was the last day of my little vacation. Yup, that is right...tomorrow I start my internship- the reason why I decided to pack my bags and move to the land of the Magyars.

It is also the day when reality will sink in...

After sleeping in a bit, and organizing some things in my new room, I decided to try another Rick Steves walking tour. I am a bit tired of navigating, so I choose the "Andrassy Utca" walk, because it required that I walk in a straight line.

Andrassy Utca is the Budpest version of the Champs-Élysées, in Paris. I have been to the Champs-Élysées, and well, while Andrassy Utca is very long (3.2 KM, the CE is 2 KM) and home to several high end retailers like Gucci, DG etc, and is definitely nicer than most streets that I have been on in Budapest, but I thought it lacked the splendor and grandiose that I felt walking up the champs in Paris. It could have been the weather too... but I think it may have been more that Budapest is still a city making up for years of neglect.

I started out pretty good, I made it to the 'start' of the tour Deak Ter, and fumbled a bit on the directions. You see, Deak ter is where all three metro lines meet, and well there are about 8 different places to exit (it is one of those 'choose your own stair case metro stops'). Rick just says "Start at the Ter". This left me to wonder, which part of the ter?. I exited at the wrong exit three times. (you see the photo? that is one of the failed exits. I had to get across the ter...which was past all those cars). Eventually I exited at the right stair case, and was able to properly follow Rick's instructions to the second "stop". (I should explain how his books work. Basically, he has written out 'walking tours' that start at one part of the city and end at another. Throughout the 'tour' he gives you instructions from stop 1 to stop 2 etc. While I was able to find Deak Ter without any issues. His instructions to get to stop 2 is where the I fumbled because I wasn't at the right part of the square). Gah. The annoying things about moving to a new place!

Anyway, I did end up on Andrassy Utca. On the left is a photo of the 'bottom of the square'. Again, this is supposed to be the CE in Paris...not exactly...but to be fair, near the top it did get nicer. As I walked up the Utca, I walked by the Postal Museum. It is closed on Mondays, but I will have to make a note to go back. It looked pretty cool! Then, as the street went on, I began to see all the 'high-end retailors' like Gucci. Man, if I ever wanted (or hell, if i ever could afford) to shop at Gucci, I think I would shop at this location. Who wouldn't want to enter a store with statues like that guarding the door? me!. Across from Gucci was the grand ole' opera house.

It actually has a neat history. It was built because the Hungarians of yesteryear wanted to make Budapest a real European city, and well, apparently the only way to do this is to ensure that your city has its own opera house.This was during the Hapburg's Rule . King Josef agreed to finance half of the construction (as Budapest was the co-capital of his empire, and, well, I guess a co-capital of an empire does need its' own opera house.). However, in agreeing to pay for half of it (the state paid for the rest I guess), he put the condition that the physical size of the house be smaller than the opera house in his hometown, Vienna. This was agreed upon, however, much to the chagrin of Franz Josef, while the actual building is physically smaller, the architect, Miklos Ybl, made sure that everything else about the place (i.e. the interior decor, design, acoustics, 'opulence' as RS says in his book etc), was better than the opera house in Vienna. It was reported that Josef wasn't exactly happy, but you must give credit to the designer who did follow the directions. to a Tee. I popped inside (hoping to pick up a flyer for the upcoming operas and ballets, which I want to go an see), and well, it was very posh. As a result, I thought I should be on my best behavior......until I had an urge to act out. And so, the reason behind this picture.

At the Opera House I did manage to get a show schedule. Although it is in Hungarian, the beauty of schedules is that they only use basic words, that can be figured out quite easily!. Don Carlo, The Barber of Seville and The Clemency of Titus are amongst the 7 operas current being shown/staged here. I will most definitely catch a few. Tickets range from 400 HUFs (2 $) for a seriously obstructed view, to 12 100 HUF (60 $) for the best seat in the house). I have always wanted to sit in the balcony. you know? where are the important people sit? In all the old movies where the posh people gossip?

After my (self) entertaining jaunt and photo opt at the Opera house, I crossed the street and walked about 100 meters to a lovely little cafe called Muvesz Kavehaz . Apparently this cafe (literally translated to 'coffee house') is where all the cool ackTors go after their stage rehearsals and such. (The opera house is in the 'Broadway district', home to several Hungarian play houses). As their was an English menu, and the waiter could speak English, I decided that it was a good time to stop for a coffee and my first Hungarian Coffee House Pastry. How these coffee houses work is that you sit down, acknowledge your presence, then get up and go to the showcase and pick the yummy treat you wish to have. I picked a yummy looking mille feuille called the Francia Creme. It was 6 layers of yummy ness. The top was this sugary hard icing (it was brown-ish, I thought it was caramel, but it was just brown icing). then there was layers of filo-type pastry that was slightly saltly. Then after that there was a layer of white creme, then a layer of vanilla custard, then a layer of sweet soft marange. The bottom layer was a second layer of filo pastry (the mille feuille part). The whole thing had a hint of lemon (which seems to be very popular). It was yummy!

I also tried to order an americano. but failed even when I tried to order it the 'correct way'. Let me explain. The last time I attempted to have an americano at a restaurant here was on my first day and I just asked for an Americano. The person corrected me, saying yes, I will make you an espresso longo. I clued into the possibility that an Americano is also called an espresso longo. So, here, I ordered and espresso longo, saying espresso with hot water (when the waiter looked a bit confused). The guy brought me an espresso and perrier. close but no cigar. The espresso was lovely though. I can't (and am not) really complaining. :). It's Just funny how important language is for getting what you want.

After my 'lunch' break, I kept making my way up the street, past the Oktogon, (which is a huge street crossing shaped like an Oktogon) and the Museum of Terror (a museum about the recent history of the occupations of Hungary (Hitler and Stalin). Another thing on my 'to do' list. Then made my past a smaller version of the Oktogon, called Kodaly Korond ter, named after the man who lived in the mansion on the square (see the photo on the left?). This ter used to be called Hitler Ter, during the Natzi occupation of Hungary. Oktogon was called Mussolini Ter at that time too.

Finally, after hours of walking (and several detours), I made it to Heros Square. (the photo at the top of the Blog). The square is the end of Andrassy Utca (which reminded me more of CE than the bottom of the Utca). The square is home to several statues that pay homage to Great Hungarians/Magyars of the Past. The statuein the centre is the king of the Magyar tribe, Arpad. The Magyars are the 'ethic' tribe that first arrived in Hungary way back when( like the 'anglo saxons' or 'celts'). He is known as the 'granddaddy' of all Magyars. (the photo on the right). In the back of the square, there are statues of the 'Heroes' of Hungary dating back to 967 with St. Istvan, the first son of King Geza to be baptized Christian, and consequently marking the beginning of the Magyar's integration with Europe (apparently before they at war with their neighbors), all the way up to 1894 with Lajos Kossuth. He was the man who attempted to lead an independence movement to free Hungary from the Hapsburg Empire. He even put a call out for help from the U.S.A, speaking to congress on the matter. Too bad the US was still in its isolationist FP era, or that at the time of his speech the US was fighting it's civil war. Apparently, according to a NY times article that I found, the Kossuth speak wasn't exactly received as whole hardheadedly as it could have been....apparently congress "...refused to "commit" the country to sympathy with nations struggling for liberty...". Kossuth ended up dieing in exile. But, on a interesting fact note, apparently there is a statue of Kossuth on Capitol Hill in Washington (one of only two statues of non-Americans!).

The two statues that I liked, I took a picture with them. See? The one on the left is a guy named Kalman, he apparently traded a bloody sword for a pile of books to read (point for pacifism), AND he was the first ruler in Europe to ban trials and burning of women accused of being witches (point for women's rights!). The guy on the right is Andras II. He was the Hungarian king who decided, er, realized, that absolutism was not the best way forward, and accepted to share his power (albeit only with the nobility, but it was a start!). His gold medallion represents the Golden Bull of 1222, which is a decree similar to the Magna Carta. (point for sharing power!).

After Hero's Square I headed home, with a 'short stop' to grab some things I still needed for my house. I found a kitchen store and decided to go in to see if they had any cheap-er knife. The ones in my apartment are just not cutting it. (sorry for the pun, I couldn't resist). But in actuality, last night the knife I was using BENT as I cut into a piece of BREAD. Anyway, I got my knife (a cute yellow one), and headed to the shops to get something quick for dinner, then home. I forgot I was in a foreign country. again. and trying to find plain ole 'pasta' sauce was of course a challenge. They don't exactly have a 'pasta sauce aisle'. hell, they didn't even have a 'pasta sauce shelf' (I did find 'Lumber Jack Maple Syrup' (apparently, imported from Canada)). The closest thing I could find was a can of crushed tomatoes, on the bottom shelf below the four shelves of ketchup (non were Heinz by the way). Then I thought, 'this is okay' ill just grab some spices and everything will be in order. wrong. the spices were in Hungarian and I am not so good as deciphering pictures of green leafs. The guy who lived in my room before me left some spices in the cupboard. They are green. I am not sure what they are, but I guess I'll try'em. I forgot that I should always travel with my pocket language book.......which I forgot today...

Tomorrow is my first day at work! This also means that my blogs will most likely be shorter. (or perhaps more to the point!). I hope everyone is doing great, I like all your comments too (it makes me feel less far away from 'my world'. I am having fun here. Yes, there are trying times, but really, it would be super boring here if I didn't venture out into this foreign land!

tata for now!