On the Other Side of the Curtain

GPS My City

2010-12-19T16:04:00.004+01:00

I haven't written in awhile, but wanted to make sure my readers are aware of a pretty cool iPhone application (and just a fun quiz) that generates city tours all over the world. I was contacted by someone from gpsmycity.com and was told that they are introducing a walking tour for Budapest. Those who send the correct answers to quiz@gpsmycity.com will be awarded three city walk iPhone applications to cities of their choice. Those who are living in Hungary or have lived in Hungary, you should have no problems! Here's the quiz (the formatting will be weird, so copy and paste into a document or email, and it should be better!):

1) Budapest is famous in Europe for its bath culture that dates all the way back to the Romans. This is unsurprising given that the city has ... thermal springs. a) 20 b)80 c)123 2) How many cities were part ofBudapest until 1873? a) 2 b) 3 c) 4 3) Budapest is an important religious center for one of the three main monotheistic religions. It houses the second largest ... in the world. a) church b) mosque c) synagogue 4) Due to its beautiful architecture and lovely views over the Danube Budapest is also known as: a) The Pearl of the Danube b) Little Paris c) The City of Lights 5) Gellért Hill is the largest hill in Budapest offering a stunning panoramic view of the city and housing such famous sites as the Wax Museum, the Liberty Statue and the Cave Church. What have scientists recently found under the hill? a) the largest cave system in the world b) the largest underground lake of Europe c) a tunnel connecting Budapest to Prague built during the Hapsburg rule 6) One of Budapest's urban legends says that if one touches the Statue of Anonymous he will: a) die alone b) become a better man c) be a better writer 7) Sir Biro László József was born in Budapest in 1899. He is famous for inventing the: a) toothbrush b) the bra c) the ballpoint pen 8.The Magyar language is distantly related to Finnish, Estonian and some other minor Baltic languages. Do you know the family of languages that Magyar is part of? a) Indo-European b) Ugric c) Arawakan 9) Who were the first to built a settlement in 1AD on the land where modern Budpaest stands? a) the Celts b) the Huns c) the Goths 10) How many districts does the city have? a) 4 b) 10 c) 23

His First Starbucks

2010-06-07T21:40:00.003+02:00

So I've mentioned that I was lucky enough to be asked to spend my last three weeks in Europe with a group of my students in England doing a language course. We drove on a bus across Europe to England (don't worry, we didn't swim across The Channel...we took a ferry!), and we are staying in a very charming town called Stamford in the East Midlands. During the day I teach some of them lessons to some students while others do various jobs in the town, and in the afternoons we take trips. There's one student in particular who has a bit of a special place in my heart...let's call him Jimmy. I realize I sometimes take for granted how lucky I've been to be able to travel as much as I have and see so much of the world. Sometimes seeing city after city and church after church...after church, I become sort of numb and I miss out on the...wonder of it all. Jimmy has definitely reminded me of that wonder I had the first time I came to Europe...the wonder that any traveler should be lucky to have 100% of his/her travels. Jimmy is an 18 year old student who has chosen to have a job and pay his way through the private school I teach at. On the way to England he told me with total joy and excitement in his eyes that he was more excited than anyone for this trip because aside from short trips to Austria, he'd never been outside the small country of Hungary. To see him explore England and his reaction to all these new experiences has been truly amazing. I already have lots of stories, but the best comes from over the weekend when we stopped at a rest stop on the way back from London. There was a Starbucks there, and since there are no Starbucks in Hungary, naturally I stopped. He got in line with me and told me he was going to try his first EVER Starbucks. I told him to keep his money and that his first Starbucks should be purchased for him by a nice American girl. As I handed him his Caramel Macchiato, he struggled with how the little drink sleeve worked on the cup and then proceeded to confirm with me that he was supposed to drink it from the small whole in the top of the cup. He'd never used a 'to-go' cup before. Then we proceeded to speak about his day in London and all the different things he saw and people he encountered. He told me how he really wants to move to England someday now. I'm so glad there are people like this around to remind me to keep the wonder in my eyes and in my heart as I explore new and unknown places. I was once that excited person with joy in my eyes wanting to live in Europe someday. I was only slightly miffed at the fact that we had to tour yet ANOTHER church today...

Hungarian at Home

2010-05-10T20:36:00.000+02:00

So I was informed by a friend recently that there is a commercial being shown in the United States that is in Hungarian. Sure enough, my favorite sandwich shop has aired a commercial in Magyarul. There are only a few problems with it: a) no Hungarian refrigerator would be without sour cream in it somewhere, no matter how empty it was, b) no Hungarian would ever have an empty refrigerator, c) Hungarians will deliver food that fast when pigs fly, and d) the lack of Euro haircuts in that commercial mean it was clearly not shot in Europe. So, Jimmy John's...I will give you props because you make a good sandwich and you DID make a commercial in the language I love (and hate) most next to English...but get it right next time, ok?

In other news, I'm now to the countdown of having less than three weeks left in this country I love so much. The good part about this is that I get to have a three week jaunt around in my other home away from home before I head back to the States. My school has invited me on a (all expenses paid!) trip to England with some of the students. The only catch may be that we are taking a bus...to England. A bus...with 25 high school students...across Europe. Nem tudom.

Earth Day

2010-04-22T13:56:00.004+02:00

Today is Earth Day, and as a big lover of the Earth and things residing on it, I decided to plan my lessons all around this lovely day. For the older kids, this entailed calculating our "Ecological Footprints" and talking about our obligation (or lack thereof) to conservation (here's a short version of the Ecological Footprint Calculator that we used in class if you're interested... http://www.ecologyfund.com/ecology/res_bestfoot.html) We had some interesting discussions and I even shamefully showed them the difference in my Ecological Footprint when living here versus living in the United States. With my younger students, I introduced them to the English words related to recycling. We talked about what can and can't be recycled, whether or not it's important, etc. With my 4th graders, we made charts with pictures. We had a "Things that can be recycled" column, and a "Things that can’t be recycled" column. The creativity and out-of-the-box thinking that came with their answers made me laugh to the point of tears when they showed me their pictures. Here's a taste of what they came up with as a class:

Things that CAN be recycled:

- Paper

- Cans

- Plastic water bottles

- Mobile Phones

- Tires

- Playstations (which most just thought was crazy...who on Earth would even consider throwing out a broken PSP!?)

- Magazines

- Wine bottles (because in Hungary 9 times out of 10, a glass bottle will be a wine bottle…which is why I love this place).

- Posters

-This list just gets more boring...they really illustrated their creativity with the other list, so let's get to that...

Things that CAN'T be recycled:

- Apples

- Humans

- Hair

- A teacher

- Hamsters

- Poop (No way was I going to try to explain the way in which this could actually lead to creating something new...jaj)

- Balls (no, not the balls you're thinking of...get your mind out of the gutter)

- Hannah Montana

- Umbrellas

- A sheriff

- Underwear (when I sarcastically suggested giving their underwear to a charity shop, I got a few extreme looks of disgust from the girls for even mentioning it, and I'm pretty sure the boys started to pick a meeting spot in town where they'd gather with their underwear to hand out to homeless people).

- Soup

Those are just a few...hopefully they bring you a laugh. And after you laugh, go give the Earth a little squeeze for being pretty darn awesome.

Roman Holiday

2010-04-14T17:15:00.007+02:00

Since I can't really put my Easter weekend trip into beautiful enough words, I hope my pictures can do a little justice at least...

This last one isn't us...even though we realize we both could TOTALLY pass for beautiful and famous 1950's actors. The movie Roman Holiday did inspire this blog title though...plus, I love Audrey Hepburn...

Random Thought of the Day...

2010-04-10T08:57:00.005+02:00

I like to picture The Count counting on Hungarian Sesame Street...."Egy, ha ha ha...kettő, ha ha ha...három, ha ha ha..."

Hungarians and Feet

2010-03-04T20:13:00.005+01:00

Ok, I don't often rag on Hungarians. I love them. I love them in all of their hard working, extremely hospitable, resilient, amazing food-making, community minded glory. I also don't want this blog entry to somehow place all Hungarians in some arbitrary "box", although many of my previous posts have done nothing less than that. Goodness knows I can't stand it when people place all of America in the "stupid, fat, and gluttonous" box. With that said, I just can't hold this feeling in any longer. I'm finding myself becoming grumpy at and resentful of Hungary for this issue that is causing me great pain on a daily basis (particularly when the time comes to get ready in the morning somehow). I am hoping that simply getting this issue off my chest will somehow comfort me and get me through the coming weeks until this seasonal issue is no longer an issue. The issue: feet. Seriously. If you would have told me a a year and a half ago when I decided to come to Hungary that the cultural difference I would have to grapple with most (sad, but true) would be feet, I would have been like "Psssh. Whatever". Yet today, I sit here writing a blog that makes me grumpy just by typing it. First of all, let me explain some of the cultural ideas surrounding feet and footwear in the United States....just so maybe I will seem somewhat rational to my Hungarian readers. Like the people of the United States, American's feet thrive on the idea that they are free, both physically and psychologically. This means that you can really wear whatever you want on your feet without judgement from others (aside from Crocs and Uggs...it's just a crime). What I'm REALLY getting at is that you can wear what you want, regardless of what time of year it is. Because we love our feet to be physically free as often as possible, we choose to wear shoes that expose our feet to fresh air and sun rays as often as possible. This means that it could be a sunny day in January in Alaska, and there are bound to be a couple people sporting flip flops because gosh darn it (Sarah Palin accent included), it's sunny! And even in February, when it's still chilly and snow storms are inevitable, our sense of everlasting optimism creeps up and tells us to start wearing sandals and flip flops because well, Spring is really just around the corner, so why not? Now, it could have been 85 degrees out today here in Hungary and I would have worn flip-flops. Was it 85 degrees out today in Hungary? Nem. No. Cut that in half and you're about right. But that's beside the point. IF IT WERE 85 degrees and I had worn flip-flops in March, I would have gotten stared at and asked several times if I was cold. I'd get extra points if someone politely warned me about a uterus cold. I finally started wearing my flats (not flip-flops...flats...toes are covered, people!) without socks this week. I wear pants. Yet a square inch of my skin pops out from underneath and people wonder...aren't you cold?!?! By the way, the whole time I'm being judged, there is a teenager standing next to me wearing a mini-skirt and boots...but she has on nylons. She's safe from uterus colds and the like. I can hear the feet of Hungarians screaming out from under their layers of boots, socks, AND tights: "Help me!!! I'm suffocating!!" But alas, they stay there until the officially accepted date (last year it was May 1st) of being allowed to sport sandals without judgement. SO fine, I will wear my socks for a few more weeks (unless the temperature gets above 55 again, so help me God...), and I will only start wearing sandals a few weeks before the officially acceptable date. I will also, on my honor, try my darndest to stop complaining about Hungarians and their need to wear "proper" footwear at all times. But if I were to see a single Hungarian break this rule (rules are meant to be broken, right?) and show their feet in the coming weeks...I might stop (and first make sure they are really Hungarian) and hug them for coming over to the dark side.

3rd Graders Have Hearts

2010-02-10T21:05:00.002+01:00

On Wednesdays I don't have any lessons at the school here in Gyor, but I go to a little village called Kunsziget (pronounced like Koon-see-get). It's such a treat because the kids there are wonderful. I'm considered to be somewhat of a local celebrity at the school (I'm not bragging...it's true...and actually very awkward). The celebrity status is really just a rite of passage for any native speaker going to teach at a primary school. Since it's Valentine's Day on Sunday, I decided that at the expense of the boys' enjoyment, we would all make Valentines for someone important in our lives. Since last year most of my boys responded to the words, "Today we are making Valentines" with grumpy faces, I waited for the response today, especially when preparing to make Valentines with my 3rd graders. True to their gentle and sweet spirits though, these boys managed to not only not complain, but actually be excited to make Valentines! They colored in the lines, they worked very hard, and my cute story comes in amongst all of this attentive work they put in. Little Adrian came to me and kept asking the perfect spelling for every word he wanted to say. He sat and colored and made sure it was perfect. Then he came and whispered to me out of earshot of the other students that his Valentine was intended for Niki, a very cute girl in the 2nd grade class. Gosh, what a sweet boy. After class, he asked me to come with him while he waited for the 2nd graders to go play outside so he could swoop in and put it on her table. This isn't even the best part of the story...my next lesson was with the 2nd graders, and I was able to watch as Niki walked in to find the cute Valentine from Adrien on her desk. A HUGE smile swept across her face and she was beyond giddy the whole lesson. I hope that we can all take a little time this Valentine's Day week (even if it is a holiday more or less fabricated by chocolate and greeting card companies) to do something for someone that will leave a big, goofy smile on their face for a whole afternoon. P.S. while my example Valentine isn't really in good enough shape anymore to send to its intended receiver, I may as well say it here...Happy Valentine's Day, Mom! I love you!

Braving the Blizzard

2010-02-01T19:12:00.005+01:00

So Hungary is one of those places where the weather can be a certain way in one place, yet totally different just a matter of miles away. Alvin and I decided a few weeks ago that we would celebrate the one-year mark of our beautiful relationship in the exact place where we started dating (or rather, where after weeks of meeting once and constant flirting through the internet, Alvin tipsily exclaimed to a whole bus, "I have a crush on Hanna!") If you don't know how the story went after that and you're interested in being nauseated from cheesiness, please refer to all posts following the date of January 31st, 2009 :-) Anyway...back to the weather...we ventured out from Gyor Saturday morning where the weather was not bad at all. I noticed 2, maybe 3.5 flakes of snow fall as we left the train station. As we ventured farther east however, I noticed that more snow was falling, and there was more snow already on the ground. Oh, dear. After one delay in Budapest which forced a visit to a McCafe, one very serendipitous run-in with a Hungarian friend who read a story entitled The Desolation of Man (persze...) to us for an hour on the next train ride, and a slippery taxi ride later, we finally arrived to our castle in Eger. No kidding. The castle walls were just outside our room... Luckily, Eger has an abundance of activities to do inside while there is a blizzard going on outside. That abundance of things includes wine...lots of yummy wine. When in Rome, right? After too much wine, just enough palacsinta, and some wet and cold toes, the Anniversary Weekend was a success, and I was only slightly grumpy when I had to return to the scary world that we all call Monday...

Győr

2010-01-18T17:06:00.003+01:00

Anyone who is not Hungarian or lives in Hungary who pronounces that correctly on the first try gets a huge cookie. Seeing as how my own family still can't get it right, let's just make it easy and say it's pronounced like "jury"...but without the y. Even then, a Hungarian would probably look at you like huh? So yes, here I am in Győr, living and teaching in an old factory building. Yup, no lie. If you were to walk up to my place with me and watch me cheerily open the door, you'd want to take me home from this prison immediately...post: haste. When you walk into the door however, it's a different story. My apartment is arguably the nicest apartment of anyone in my program. I have seating (real seating...not table chairs or stools) for up to 6 people. I have more storage than anyone should have in their life. A bathroom that looks like it has never been used. Yes, be jealous. Oddly enough, I don't have a washing machine or microwave in all of this amazingness...whatever. But otherwise, I'm living like a queen here. I'm also a convenient 40 minute train ride from my wonderful fiancee...which might be the biggest treat of all. Did I mention I have a beyond wonderful fiancee? Oh yea, I guess I did...I am still just thoroughly enjoying referring to him as such :-) More on adventures from Győr soon(not, I repeat NOT pronounced like "gee-yor", "jor"...just give up now...it's a lost cause. :-)

Back to Magyarorszag I Go!

2010-01-04T03:00:00.004+01:00

Yep, the States could not keep me hostage for long...in one week I will be on my way back to beautiful Hungary. I'm excited to spend 6 more months in this place I love so much before it's time to buckle down and go to graduate school where I won't have enough money to go to Nebraska let alone Europe. I will definitely be missing my family after the wonderful few months I've had with all of us in the same place though. It's been glorious bonding with my ever-extending family! I will have a change of location as I head back to Hungary as well! I loved spending my year in Budapest...but I'm excited to be spending the next 6 months in a smaller city called Gyor, located in northwest Hungary. There is an elementary school and vocational high school there that I will be teaching at, and I can't wait. Enough of this though...let's get down to the real business at hand! Literally, the business on my left hand... Yup! I have officially been fiancéd! Not to be confused with fianceed. Yes, through getting engaged, I have learned that there is a difference between how the man and woman are addressed. Us ladies get one e with a fancy accent above it, whereas the boys get two. There's your little fun fact for the day! Anyhoo, yes...my partner in crime who has appeared in numerous blog postings and who I waited four months to hug proposed at the airport when he arrived in Denver. The guy didn't waste any time...and I'm ok with that because I can't think of anything else I'd like to do but get married and spend the rest of my life with this wonderful, wonderful person. Well, the actual MARRIAGE part will have to wait awhile, but I'm thoroughly enjoying knowing that regardless of the ceremony that will ensue at some point, I'm hanging out with this cute guy for a LONG time. Needless to say, my New Year is starting off better than anyone could ask. I can't wait to see what it brings as it continues!

Two Europes Becoming One

2009-11-09T19:13:00.005+01:00

I thought this day would be fitting to write a blog about something that I consider to be one of the most significant events in our world's history. Today commemorates the 20-year mark since the Berlin Wall officially came down, ending communism in Europe. I remember going to Berlin a few years ago and taking a walking tour through a place with so so so much history. I remember being enthralled the whole time my tour guide spoke as we walked from the Holocaust Memorial, to the spot where Hitler's bunker used to be, and then to the spot where part of the Berlin Wall still sits. Throughout the city, you can see a curvy line of bricks that marks where the Wall once stood. It's amazing...the line goes through what is now streets, parks, buildings...like it was never there. I was only 4 years old (almost 5!) when the Wall came down, and of course I don't remember a thing about it. After studying the time period extensively in college, and after living in a country which was once part of the Communist Bloc, I have grown to have a deep fascination with this part of our world's history, which effected so many people (I vividly remember a time in college when I realized I'd be Student Teaching during the Fall semester. I was legitimately disappointed and considered putting it off because this era in history is always taught in the Spring. Darn it!) And this day marks an anniversary of a day which would change the course of history in a huge way. While living in Hungary, I could see so many ways in which the communist era still has a great effect on society and culture. Along with that, it's overwhelming to see how far former Soviet countries like Hungary have come in rebuilding and restoring their own history and culture. The New York Times has a great little section on their website today with a couple of articles and pictures of the events commemorating this anniversary...I'm putting a link here to something I found most powerful on the website. It's a gallery of pictures taken by individuals both during communism and after the wall fell...take a look!

The Cutest Pumpkin in the Patch

2009-10-29T04:14:00.002+01:00

My nephew, Camden's first Halloween

My Spotlight on Expatify.com

2009-10-05T22:45:00.002+02:00

I was contacted recently by someone who is part of a website devoted to expatriate life. I was invited to post my blog to their website, AND have a "Spotlight" interview on their webpage. The interview posted today...you should check it out! While you're at it, check out the website too...it has a lot of great information for expats all over the world, and some amazing articles for travelers.

Occupational Status Update

2009-09-20T05:44:00.004+02:00

Well, the time has come. I can officially change my occupational status from "Unemployed dirtbag" to "Substitute Teacher". I can just see my mom reading this saying "Awww, you're not a dirtbag!" And really, for being unemployed, I was somehow quite productive and busy (I swear I missed a few episodes of the Today show in the last two months...ok, at least 2 episodes). When I got the call on Friday that informed me I was "Ms. Nichols" again, I almost danced around and did cartwheels at the thought of money actually entering my bank account. Then I got to thinking...shoot! I have to actually go to WORK! What will happen to Maggie without me to give in to her cute doggie eyes and walk her every morning? My bed will surely be angry with me for neglecting it after all the love it has gotten recently. The endless web chats and smileys with a certain cute boy overseas will surely decrease a little. And God forbid! What will happen to my fashion sense after I miss the Today show and all of their updates on the latest trends?! If it weren't for Today, I would have been titled "Trend-less & Unemployed Dirtbag". I would have never gotten the memo about plaid button-ups being the thing this season (well, I guess all I would have had to do was walk into any mall to see that, but that's not the point). In the end, I suppose that Maggie will just have to wait until after work, days will go by faster, and thus Christmas will get here faster, meaning boyfriend gets here faster (woo hoo!). AND luckily, I have already purchased one of the coveted plaid shirts that are SO in this year. So, I guess I'll wake up on Monday and go make some dollar bills ya'll.

My first attempt at homemade Csirke Paprikás

2009-09-18T02:50:00.008+02:00

One of the most traditional and famous Hungarian dishes...and I was able to make it (and do a good job!) right in my home in the States. Mom and I hung out in the kitchen today and made Chicken Paprika and dumplings (from scratch!). I got the recipe from an amazing cookbook I picked up while in Hungary. It's called Culinaria Hungary by Aniko Gergely. It's been translated into English (with American conversion measurements), and it includes a history of almost all the foods included in the book. It's like a textbook and a cookbook all in one! The recipe turned out GREAT, and I've included a couple pictures for you to marvel at.

Here is my mom, whipping up dumplings like a champ!

Here is the finished product...not bad, eh?!

The Yellow Rug

2009-08-29T03:03:00.003+02:00

"The Yellow Rug", or who is more commonly referred to as Magnificent, Maggot, Margaret (said in a British accent of course), Mags, The Magster, Maggie...etc., etc. is my family's puppy. Not only is she our puppy, she's a great source of exercise, a good listener, and her behind always wiggles with excitement to the point of almost falling over whenever you walk in the door. Even when I abandoned her for a whole year to go to Europe, she never forgot who I was. Walking down the stairs when I woke up the day after I got back from Hungary, I could hear her waggly tail smacking the wall before I even saw her. But here's the thing...I've been trying to get back into a consistent work-out regiment since I got home to offset all the extra cookies and Hot Tamales I've been consuming. In the morning after my "unemployed but upbeat" regiment of coffee and The Today Show, I head upstairs and get into my running clothes. With tennis shoes in hand, I come downstairs and perkily get ready. Before I come downstairs, Maggie can smell it. She can smell the trail which I rustle up with my shoes and clothes. Sure enough, it's not long before Maggie's in my face, tail wagging, putting on her cute "Can I go too?" face. Now, I'm sure some people would just pop the dog a treat and be on their way. Maggie however, has powers beyond what most dogs have. I finally get to the point where I give up my run and just take Mags for a walk instead. Why not run with Maggie, you ask? Oh, I've tried. But bless her heart, my dog loves to stop and smell the roses....then another rose...and then that excrement left behind by one of her friends...oh, don't forget that little speck of dirt touched by a rabbit 3 days ago! Today I walked downstairs and she was in the backyard, away from the sight of me and my shoes...freedom! Yet, somehow when I got in the car and looked in the rearview mirror, I was mildly brought down when I didn't see those yellow ears flapping in the wind...

Life After Hungary

2009-08-24T04:47:00.004+02:00

So, back by popular demand (popular meaning pleads to keep writing by 7 out of the 10 people that read this), I have decided to continue contributing to the blogging world. Considering my life in the United States is probably not going to be as full of crazy stories that inspire awe and jealousy in the minds of readers as my stories from Hungary, we'll see how this goes. But, if there is a little less of homeless people pooping on buses, running from transportation officials, and men hunting children with rifles in schools, maybe it will be all for the better! Coming home has still been quite the adventure. Since being home, I have become an auntie of a beautiful baby boy, visited 4 states in one day, seen Howard Stern walking through Central Park, and experienced wanting to die from food poisoning (luckily I had a cute male nurse around to encourage my will to live). So as it turns out, life in the States isn't entirely uneventful! Aside from seriously missing a cute face or two (along with the 180 small faces back in Budapest) every minute of the day, I think I'll manage...for awhile anyways :-) Below are pictures of my nephew Cam the Man, along with a picture of myself with the cute male nurse I mentioned earlier.

Flooding in Budapest

2009-07-05T14:19:00.004+02:00

So there has been a lot of rainfall along the Danube, particularly in Austria. Then it all comes here to Hungary! We did have quite the rainstorm hit Budapest the other night however, taking down some trees in my neighborhood and making it a river...All of this rain along the Danube has made the river very high in the past week or so...to the point of the road going along it being underwater. Here are some pictures Alvin and I took the other day on our walk by Parliament...the one of our feet is on the steps that usually lead down from Parliament to the road!

Viszontlatasra, Magyarorszag! For now....

2009-07-05T13:27:00.002+02:00

So yea, after almost a full year of living in Hungary, I can't believe the time has come for me to head back home. It seems like just yesterday I was sending off my visa papers and psyching myself up to live away from home for a year. It's been quite amazing and there are so many things I will miss about Hungary. Some things, like my students and islers, go without saying. But here are a few other things I will really miss about Hungary as well:

The incredible public transportation. Aside from buses breaking down randomly, being pushed in and out of doors by angry neni's, the public transportation thing is so impressive and spectacular.
The consumption of white bread and pastries as being socially acceptable. Is that stuff even legal in the States anymore? :-)
Eating veggies and not having to consider whether they were treated with pesticides, or how long they took to arrive from the ground to your mouth. I've even eaten vegetables that came from less than 20 feet away from where I sleep and still had traces of dirt on them.
Wine. Cheap wine that still tastes better than any $40 bottle you can find in America.
The sounds of the metros, buses, and trams. The little jingles will be in my head for life.
Seeing pieces of history older than my home country every day.
Sitting at a restaurant for hours at a time and not being hassled by the waiter/waitress every 2 minutes.
The overwhelming excitement that came every Friday on the train rides down to Kaposvar to see my partner in crime.

With that, here are some things that I am SO excited about going back to the States for:

Air conditioning!!!! As I write this, I am sitting in a coffee shop with the backs of my legs sticking to the leather chairs and sweat on my forehead.
Seeing more than tall buildings and cars in my immediate field of vision at any given time. Show me some mountains!!!!
Driving my car. Yes, I LOVE the public transport here...but there is nothing like hoping in my car and singing at the top of my lungs with the windows down.
Family and friends
Having stores that stay open past 5pm. Woo hoo!
Riding my bike
Understanding more than 1/2 of what's going on at any given time. Although, when I went home for Christmas...I kept feeling like I was eavesdropping on conversations, simply because I understood what was being said.
Maggie lovin'!

Of course, these are very small lists...they could both go on forever. But this can give you a little glimpse. I have so many heartfelt and mushy things I could type too...but those are stories you can hear in person if you wish. For now, I will say, "Szia later" to Hungary and enjoy being home for a little while!

Ladies of The Night...or Mid-Afternoon...

2009-06-25T17:14:00.002+02:00

Being that I am from a little suburb of Denver...heck, being that I'm from the U.S., "Ladies of the Night" are not something I've encountered in any way, shape, or form in my lifetime. The closest I've come to it is watching "Pretty Woman" and feeling uncomfortably antsy at the "sexy" parts. Anyways, with that said and my larger, more intellectual views on the subject set totally aside...my experience from yesterday is newsworthy. Let me preface the story by explaining that this occupation is technically legal in Hungary...with some limitations on where the exchanges can take place (i.e. not near schools, restaurants, etc.). So, Alvin and I were in a little town outside of Miskolc, Hungary exploring and gearing up to watch a bike race today. Our Hungarian friend Greg was driving us around and showing us things. Here is how this experience went down, as I remember it...

Greg: "Over there is a nice lake, and oh! We have &#%#$*'s here!"
A & H: "WHAT?"
Greg: "&#%#$*'s...you know, #@**&(!"
Alvin: "Wait, beaches or peaches?"
Hanna: "Horses? Waaiiit, not HORSES....you mean c^%va (Hungarian word for the explitave that rhymes with horse...think about it...)
Greg: "Yes! They stand on the side of the road and wait for cars to stop!

At that moment, sure enough...at 3:30 in the afternoon, we drove by a woman standing suggestively on the side of the road, another walking towards a car that had pulled over. They were not dressed as my Grandma Helen would approve of. Me, being the sheltered American jumped with delight and this sight and almost felt the need to take a picture. Greg then honked and made another comment I will leave out of the blogging world and up to your imaginations to fill in. Oy vey.

Sziastork!

2009-06-21T12:54:00.007+02:00

Ok, so some of you may have immediately noticed my type-o in the title. The term "Sziasztok" can mean "hello" or "goodbye" in Hungarian. One day however, while walking through Alvin's village, we noticed a family of storks living in a next on a telephone pole. I then proceeded to yell out, "SziaSTORK!" and have a laugh attack for about 10 minutes following. This isn't the point of my blog, though. I've spent the better part of the last 3 weeks saying lots of "hello's" and "goodbye's" here. A big hello was when my sister and her (now OUR) friend Kate came to visit Hungary. I couldn't have enjoyed their visit more. They were even initiated into the Statue-Accosting Association of Hungary while they were here! We made a visit to Vienna and Kaposvar, and even made a visit to my school to see my kids wonder who the heck this girl that looked exactly like Hanna was! I've also had to start saying a lot of the word "goodbye" here already, which is heartbreaking, really. My kids have been a huge part of my life this past year, and saying goodbye was not easy for me. I thought I was going to be able to hold it all together and get through it without tears until the last day of teaching as I was explaining to 1.c that I wasn't coming back (some of the kids still don't fully understand I won't be here in September, which hurts me more). As little Zsofi came to the realization, I saw little tears well up in her eyes as she sat with her chin in her hands and yup, that did it. Suddenly, I had 15 crying kids surrounding me making me realize that I really did have an impact on them. Enough of the sad stuff, though. I got to enjoy so many flowers, chocolates, and my favorite...lots of pictures they colored for me. I will not go home empty handed! I also got to go to an end-of-the year swimming party and watch the kids just have fun, outside of school. I couldn't be happier.

Here is little Zsofi from 1.c. Lili and Mate, enjoying the water.

And now I have a couple weeks to just enjoy Hungary! Alvin and I have already started aimlessly wandering around Budapest, along with hitting up sites on our "list". Here we are, climbing up Gellert Hill in Budapest! I'm happy to know Hungary isn't done with me yet! Nor will it be in July when I leave...I think I'll be back soon enough :-)

NYTimes Material

2009-06-08T21:20:00.003+02:00

Woop, woop! Check out the shout-out to Budapest that was posted on the NYTimes website today...all quite true if I do say so myself: http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/06/07/travel/07journeys.html?8dpc

Wake Up!

2009-06-08T14:02:00.005+02:00

So yea, I woke up today and it hit me that today is June 8th. Yes, in one month exactly, I will be on a plane going back home to the States. I will toss the emotions of that idea aside for now though and focus on what amazing things are happening NOW. I had two of my best friends from home visiting, and they left yesterday. I LOVED having them here to just talk to, laugh with, have them meet the boy, and basque in good news together. To Han and Jo, thanks a MILLION for spending the money and time to come see my world over here, and I am so happy you got so explore some more of it too! I love you so much.We spent Saturday at Lake Balaton wandering around the lake and also saw Alvin in a bike race. This wasn't just any easy bike race though...it went the whole way around Lake Balaton (that's about 200km, people!). He finished in about the top 30 out of about 1,000 racers, and I'm really proud of him. He even managed to have enough energy afterward to meet the girls and answer their pressing questions :-) In the picture below, Alvin is all the way on the left of the group, in the elbow pit of the man with the tattoo. Good lucking seeing it! It was quite the sprint to the finish!In other news, this is my last week of teaching! I'm trying to enjoy and savor the last hugs and fun moments with the little ones before I leave. Tomorrow I get to go to Parliament with 2.c! So excited. Also, my sister Katie and her friend Kate fly into Budapest Thursday. I absolutely cannot WAIT to have my sister here. So yea, there's way more fun to come before July 8th...so we'll consider that later :-)

Pulling a Jon Clark

2009-06-02T20:19:00.005+02:00

So my wonderful friend who also teaches here in Hungary has a blog that he dedicates almost entirely to amazing things he cooks here. And when I say cook, I'm not just talking about making a tasty cream sauce or a good batch of cookies...I'm talking about making his own noodles from scratch, making homemade limoncello...he even made foam for our coffee on his stove when I visited once. Anyways, I always get such a kick out of his blog entries (not to mention a hungry tummy), and while Alvin and I were making salad with veggies straight from his backyard over the weekend, I got excited and said, "I am going to pull a Jon Clark and write a blog about this!". So here I am, with pictures of our beautiful, delicious and fresh salads that came right out of Alvin's backyard. The bread was freshly baked from the bakery in Kaposvar. And yes, the loaf IS about the size of someone's head...or maybe two someones. Oh, and since I've dedicated almost a whole blog entry to Jon Clark, I will include a link to his blog here (hope you don't mind the publicity, Jon!): Jon's amazing blog (I suggest not reading while hungry)

My Dream Bedroom

2009-05-27T12:53:00.003+02:00

This week, I decided to put my 2nd graders' creativity to the test. I'm having them draw their own "Alom Szoba", or Dream Bedroom. I've been blown away by the results. It astounds me how amazing kids can be at such young ages. Here are a few things that I've seen included in their Dream Bedrooms:

A popcorn machine
Swimming pool
Trampoline
A fingerprint sensor on the door instead of a key
Security cameras
A "Sumo floor"...the skinniest kid in the class drew this one.
A hockey rink
A pizza bed..."So I can eat when I sleep!", says Laura.
Stacks of money
Lego tower
A chair which brushes your teeth, feeds you, and gets you ready in the morning while you sit and watch a movie.
Weights..."To get fit!", yelled Bogi (a tiny little girl)
This is what I could gather: Remi wanted actors in his room who would act out different scenes in Harry Potter whenever he wanted.
Giant teddy bear
A beach

Nice, eh?

Day On The Duna

2009-05-25T19:38:00.007+02:00

Friday was "Day On The Duna" at Varosliget for the 1st through 4th graders. I went along happily on the 90 degree day and aside from a lot of heat and mosquitoes, it was awesome! It also included the following: food, playing ball, playing tag, food, ice cream, hand holding, food, English games that the kids WANTED to play, a funeral, bumps and scratches, food, running happily, and lots of love. Here are a couple of pictures for you to enjoy!

Zsofi and Lilla enjoying ice cream (what, kids eating? CRAZY!)Oooooh they are so cute waving at the camera!He is so shy, but he pulled his hair out of his eyes, pointed at himself, and said, "Hanna, picture please.""Hanna, too sunny!"

Where is your money?

2009-05-13T09:34:00.002+02:00

So, some of you already know that I lost my wallet last week. Yes, I honestly am not sure if it got lost or stolen, but all I know is that I got money out of the ATM, got on the bus with Alvin, and by the time I got home, it was not there. Luckily, there were no charges made on any credit cards, and only (this does hurt, but it could be worse) about 75 dollars worth of money was in there (including the monthly metro pass I had JUST bought two days before! Grrr...). All in all, I am not too incredibly upset, because it could have been worse. It can be replaced, I still have my Passport, my health, and happiness....things happen. Whatever. Anyways, Monday, I mentioned the said wallet-losing to a couple teachers at school. One even noticed I was carrying my cash around in a Ziploc baggie. How barbaric! Really though, I had forgotten about it...until today. I was in the hall, talking to some of my kids...when about 1O kids from 2.a ran up and asked me, "Hanna! Where is your money???" Huh? My money? Were they asking me for money? Did they want to know where it was so they could take it? Well kids, it is in a Ziploc bag upstairs...but I would rather you leave it there so I do not have to venture to the bank again and try speaking to a bank teller about it. Then one kid acted out something falling out of a bag. Ahhhhh. They wanted to know if I found my wallet!!!! I told them no, I did not find my wallet. I made a sad face, just to get the point across. Suddenly I was attacked by hugs and hands petting my hair. Man, I love the therapy that comes with teaching kids!!!

What Hungarian Children Bring on Vacation

2009-05-10T20:22:00.003+02:00

Last week at school we explored the English phrases that coincide with "Going on Vacation" in my classes. I even brought in my way-cool American passport and let the kids gawk at all my stamps...ok, they were only slightly impressed. For one lesson, I had the kids plan their own trip and draw pictures in their suitcases of what they would bring on that particular trip, given the elements and activities. Of course, if you were going to the mountains in the winter, you wouldn't bring your shorts and swimsuit...I loved hearing the kids say, "NOOOOO!!!!" when I told them I was packing my swimsuit to go to Mt. Everest. Anyways, as I walked around my classes, I noticed the girls were packing standard items...shirts, shoes, dresses, books, etc. The boys however, always have to be a little crazy. And I love it. Here are just a few things that I saw at any given time last week drawn in the boys' suitcases:

Spiders
A British flag
A snowman
16 gloves (yes, specifically...I told Boti that this would come in handy should he be in the mountains and encounter 7 friends with cold hands!)
Carrots
TV
Scorpions
Hot chocolate (the drawing was of a cup full of chocolate with steam lines, so I assume he wanted an already-made cup in his suitcase should he need it at any time)
A leopard (as protection, I was told)
Forks
Spoons
A snake
Beach umbrella
Beach chair
Vacuum cleaner
A rope
Ice axe
Water wings and a water tube with a duck coming out the front
Ninja stars

Let's see if my boys make it past security on their magical imaginary vacations!

Move aside, anyone who breathes....nénis coming through!

2009-04-29T20:14:00.005+02:00

I've dedicated a few entries to the essence of "seasoned" women of Hungary, and here is another. If you haven't heard before, their technical term is neni. The word actually means "aunt", but it also is a term that is closest to Mrs., or Ms. It's a term of respect. Sometimes my kids even call me Hannaneni. The REAL neni's, however, are the ones you've heard about. They dominate culture here in Hungary. They can be total (I hate to use the b-word, but...) meanies and get away with it easily. These women's bodies are a little rough around the edges these days, but they carry their weight all over town (even if it might take years to get from place to place). When waiting to get on a tram, they will push everyone to get on/off first and nobody questions it. I experienced the perfect display of neni-power tonight on the tram. There was a guy ("that guy", to be exact) sitting in a seat across from me. A hoard of neni's got on the tram at one stop, and one neni happened to just pop up next to the guy and stare at him with her lazer eyes that have the ability to pierce your soul. He didn't seem inclined to move and give the neni his seat, so she stared more. Suddenly, his soul was pierced, and he got up and let her sit down. She caught my eye and flashed an evil smirk that seemed to say something like this: "The nenis strike once again! Should anyone dare to attempt to infringe on our power, the shall die a horrible death. Get up out of my grill, minions!" Aside from this heartwarming story, everything is good! Three day weekend coming up...woo hoo!

Learning About Relationships With Lulu

2009-04-27T21:12:00.004+02:00

Before I re-visit the cute conversation I had with little Lulu today, I feel she deserves an introduction. She is my little 1st grade translator because she speaks fluent English...not only does she speak FLUENT English, she speaks American/Canadian English!!! I don't have to change my vocabulary. She uses normal words, rather than terms like "the bin", "the garden", and "I haven't got..." (don't get me wrong, I have a love of the British that borderlines on obsession...but sometimes I just want to speak American English!). Moreso, I love her because she is generally awesome. She is sassy and in your face, and I love her one-liners I hear all the time. I have some REALLY good stories about her involving head scarves, Christmas Presents, and flashing people...ask me about these at your leisure. Here is the play-by-play of our conversation today:

Lulu: Hanna, come here please...I need to talk to you about something important.
Me: What's up, Lulu?
Lulu: So Marci said he's in love with me, but he is suddenly pretending like I am invisible. Isn't that stupid? (P.S. this whole conversation took place with Marci sitting right behind Lulu...who cares? He can't understand anyways...)
Me: That is quite silly of him...boys can be that way sometimes.
Lulu: Are boys this stupid all the time? Even when they're your age?
Me: Sigh. Well, yes...they tend to be. But there are a few very nice boys out there...you just have to look a little harder for them! (wink!)
Lulu: Gosh, why does all of this have to be so confusing??!
Me: I know, Lulu...go back to coloring right now...you have years and years to worry about this. Just know there's a nice boy somewhere out there who won't always be stupid.
Lulu: Marci, you're stupid!

A Lesson on Clothing Items Turned PG-13...

2009-04-21T13:04:00.002+02:00

This week, I am teaching my students items of clothing. Just the general t-shirt, jeans, shorts, shoes, etc. Easy, right? So, 2.c has worked its way up to become my absolute favorite class (aside from 1.b, OF COURSE)...but they are just a really fun and excited group of kids. I also love them because I have some girls in the class who I like to call my "groupies". They love me. Not kidding. They say it at least 10 times a day...each. They also tell me I'm beautiful every day, which just adds to their appeal. The day I brought in Easter candy, I even got a "You are plus, plus, plus beautiful, Hanna!" from one of them. Today, they made my lesson very interesting! As the kids were sitting and drawing pictures of each item and writing the name next to the picture, I asked them what other items of clothing they'd like to know the names of...we came up with things like sunglasses, tights, sandals, long-sleeved shirts...all simple and suitable for the minds of children to be thinking about. Then I looked over to see my groupies sitting in the corner giggling. I gave them a look, and they came up to me and whispered something Hungarian in my ear, then proceeded to giggle uncontrollably. I understood what they said, but still looked at them as if I was completely clueless. One of the boys noticed, and proceeded to make an "action", signifying a bra....this involved fake cupping and squeezing. Then the class proceeded to point at my chest. Of course, that led to all of the children cupping and laughing...then they wanted to know the word for underwear, and signified by pulling their own underwear up out of their pants to show me. Sheesh. Sheepishly, after having my rack pointed out to everyone, along with seeing about 20 pairs of underwear, I explained that today was not the day for undergarments...then directed them to ask the other English teacher instead...I had enough awkwardness for the day.

The Nichols Invade Europe

2009-04-19T21:26:00.003+02:00

Mom and Dad's trip to Europe was a total success! I loved having my parents here and I loved showing them my 'hood. Mr. Sun also gave us the huge gift of being present the whole time they were here!!! We soaked in the baths without getting lost in the changing lockers, they met my partner in crime and all was perfect, and they were even treated to some Mozart at the Opera! Then, it was off to Austria! We hit up Salzburg first and for all who have been wondering, it's been confirmed...the hills ARE in fact alive with the sound of music. Check it out.... And of course a trip to Salzburg would not be complete without enjoying one of EVERYONE'S favorite things...crisp apple strudel....all we were missing were some doorbells and sleigh bells and some schnitzel with noodles. It was also confirmed that Eidelweiss is the #1 easiest song to get in your head for weeks upon weeks after hearing it. Also...next time you're in Salzburg and you turn on your TV in your hotel room...you don't need to question...YES, The Sound of Music and Amadeus DO in fact have their own channels, and they DO play continuously.

Surviving my first Hungarian fire drill...

2009-04-07T14:17:00.001+02:00

Yesterday (yes, I was ACTUALLY notified of something, and a day in advance), I was told there would be a fire drill today during 4th lesson. At 11:35, the alarm would go off, and I was to take my kids to the courtyard with the others. Great, I can handle that. I have my great little 1st graders who worship the ground I walk on and who would behave great, just to make me happy. Super. Well today came around, and of course their teacher wanted to take the whole class "so they wouldn't be stressed out about the fire alarm" with me. I was a little miffed that the person who the children are truly, truly afraid of every second thinks they'll be less stressed with HER than with me. I'd make a bet they'd be fine with me, and I don't even speak their language. Whatever, I could catch up on other work that needed to be done. 11:35: alarm goes off, and I proceed with a couple of other teachers on breaks to the ONE stairwell to the ONE entrance to the school. Ok, another source of culture shock...the kids were SORT of lined up with their teachers, but were they quiet and good-mannered like in the States? NEM. They were making fake siren sounds, fake cries for help and pretending they were dying. Yea, you're all awesome and hilarious. Congratulations. After a good 5-6 minutes, I realized I was on the 2nd floor, and we were still only on the 1st floor stairwell. Oh God, if this were a real fire...first of all, there'd be mass chaos and stampeding down these stairs, AND I would be dead most likely if the timing is like it is now. I ACTUALLY found myself looking around out the windows to plan my own escape (along with my favorite little ones, of course), should a fire ever break out. Therefore, I survived my first fire DRILL...but should there be a real fire...out the windows and acrobating it down to the ground it is for me.

April Fool's Day at Városligeti Primary School

2009-04-01T14:07:00.005+02:00

I made my way to school today just like it was any other day (well, I'm having a great hair day today if that counts as something different), but I noticed something was off the second I walked through the door of the school. There were kids wearing shoes that didn't match, shirts that were inside-out or turned around, and there was a general feeling of silliness. I thought it might just be Spring Fever, or quite possibly some memo about a dress-up day that I didn't get (I don't get notified about much around these parts). I went to my first class with my 1st graders, and being that they aren't too incredibly creative, Vince came up to me and said, "Hanna, may I go to the toilet?" Of course I replied with a yes, and expected him to run out the door with his hand on his crotch, as usual. This time though, he spouted something off to me in Hungarian that I didn't understand, and then it hit me. He just played an April Fool's joke on me. It's April 1st. Silly Vince...he's a crazy little boy...IMAGINE...asking to go to the bathroom and not really needing to go! Haha. Of course, every other kid in the class proceeded to do the same thing...so by the 28th "May I go to the toilet?", I was a little pooped. That wasn't it though. I was informed by other teachers after 1st lesson that April Fool's here in Hungary is sort of a big deal. So I should watch out, even though my kids aren't that creative. No, mine aren't at this point in their lives...but the older kids are. So was I extremely surprised to walk into my 2nd grade classroom before the next lesson to see a bunch of 6th graders with their faces painted (two boys had wigs and skirts on) sitting in the little chairs? No. At first I thought (and asked aloud)....uhhhhh do I have to teach these ones today? Then the 2nd grade teacher walked in and looked just as surprised as I was. This was her former class, playing a joke. Luckily, this joke earned me a free period in which to plan lessons for after Easter Break. Otherwise, the day was pretty much normal, aside from another one of my 2nd grade classes sitting down facing the back wall instead of me. I acted surprised when they said it was only a joke. ;-) Side note: We are learning Easter vocabulary at school this week, and I am teaching my students the names of a couple different Easter flowers. Hearing my little ones spout out the word "daff-o-dil" is quite possibly the cutest thing I have seen in my life. It would be worth it for all of you to come teach in Hungary for a whole year, just to hear this one word. It's THAT cute.

It's Official: Spring is here!

2009-03-31T12:49:00.002+02:00

Yup, I'm calling it. It's definitely Spring here in Hungary. I even changed the picture for my blog to put a splash of color on it, because that's what I'm seeing around here. The coming of Spring here has been so long-awaited for me, and I've never been so excited to see the seasons change. I think I know why: I am from Colorado. You see, in Colorado there is no easily identifiable change in seasons. It's not like you walk outside one day and say, "Yup, it's Spring". I've seen it snow in August and I've worn a t-shirt and flip-flops in January in Colorado. The weather is so unpredictable in Colorado that I never knew what it meant really to put all your winter clothes away for part of the year, and take them out for only a few months. Anyways, this is probably why I am so excited about Spring here. My little ones are excited too...the tights with flower patterns on them are emerging, I see people wearing lighter jackets (including myself...I FINALLY put the pea coat that I usually love, but lately love to hate on the hook for good). Yup, birds are chirping, the trees are budding, the sun is out, people are happy, I am DEFINITELY happy, and life is awesome. Pretty soon I will begin to wear flip-flops before the accepted Hungarian cut-off date of switching to open-toed shoes...therefore you might see another post with angry tones toward the old women staring at my feet soon.

Also, prepare yourself, Hungary! Mom and Pops arrive to Budapest one week from this very day. Excitement is building!

English Labels Gone Wild

2009-03-23T21:39:00.003+01:00

This is what happens when you don't proofread the English on labels of items in classrooms...or maybe my school supports both Britain and the reefers.

What Hungarian 2nd graders are scared of...

2009-03-16T20:00:00.004+01:00

Today in my 2nd grade classes, we talked about what we are scared of. Here are some of their answers. If you sit and ponder the fears of Hungarian children, this might be of interest to you...

Ghosts
Mean dogs and cats
Snakes
Aliens
Dying (to ask the word for it, most of them approached me and died on the spot...they had interesting causes of death)
Getting punched
No PSP
No TV
Water monsters (whatever that is)
Cat dying
Black clouds
Mommy and Daddy
The dark
Closet monsters
Angry Hanna
No stars...this goes along with Angry Hanna. Angry Hanna = No stars = One less step closer to 10 stars = No candy
No spaghetti
Burglars (also some good acting out on this one)
Global warming (David came and acted this out by saying "Earth...boys and girls are very hot...Earth BOOM! Bye bye!"...yea, amazing kid)

Today Was A Good Day

2009-03-12T13:49:00.004+01:00

Here's why:

I somehow put just the right amounts of milk and sweetener into my tea this morning. It tasted like perfection in a cup.
Arrived to school...had my Little Monsters 1st period. The biggest Little Monster, Marci, was not there today. Class was only moderately loud.
Akos, my little English phrasebook on legs, walked into class with sunglasses and a shirt that said "Future Rock Star". He greeted me with, "Hi, dude!"
Lunch today...csirke paprikas (chicken paprika)...my absolute favorite. We even had animal-shaped noodles, which my favorite colleague and I proceeded to play with while we ate. Double bonus!
All week it had been up in the air which lessons were actually happening this Friday, due to an activity planned for the kids...this morning I was informed I don't have to teach at all tomorrow. My weekend starts...now!
BECAUSE I don't have to teach tomorrow, I get to grab an earlier train to Kaposvar to hang with my partner in crime for the weekend. Believe me, a couple extra hours are worth more than you'd think!
I walked out of the school and I was standing on the street corner, waiting to cross...of course, the bus started coming around the corner. The light wasn't changing. At first I was like...Whatever. Life is good already. I'll wait. Suddenly, the light changed. I decided to see if I could sprint fast enough to make it...just for funsies. Made it! I rock.
Get to come home to flowers adorning my whole apartment, due to my lovely first grade boys, who gave them to me for Women's Day. Every time I look at them I imagine the sheepish smiles I got as they each handed them to me saying awkwardly "Happy...Women...Day". I had to take pictures, since they are so beautiful. And that, my friends, is, as my kids would say, Hanna's wery good day. Also, it's only 2:00pm :-)

Random Monday Thoughts...

2009-03-09T19:40:00.004+01:00

Monday is always the longest day of the week for me. I'm out and about from about 7:15 in the AM and aside from a brief 15 minute block of time to come home and change out things, I don't get home until at least 7:30 in the PM. That's a long day. Because I am out for so long during the day, I also get to observe countless happenings in Budapest. These observations lead to many random thoughts and lots of analysis in my head. Here's a little view into the head of Hanna (scary, I know) with some of the random thoughts I've experienced on Mondays recently...

Every time I jaywalk across the street here, people look at me like I am a horrible criminal. Why? There are no cars coming within miles (ok, not MILES), yet there is hatred in their eyes. Oh, most of these people lived through a time where breaking simple rules meant you were not "working for the good of the whole" and your hands were cut off (ok, again an exaggeration). Therefore, Hungarians follow rules.
There are many homeless people in Budapest. How on earth do they not have homes, yet they somehow all have cell phones?
The woman who stands on the street and hands out advertisements between Oktogon and Coffee Heaven is there EVERY DAY at all hours of the day...I would think she would make a lot of money doing this so often, but if she's standing here ALL DAY handing out papers, she's obviously never out having fun with that money.
Coffee Heaven...this place is so commercial. I should be at some local cafe, enjoying a coffee that is at about half the price of this. Whatever, this is one of the few places in Budapest where I can a) enjoy a large cup of coffee, b) eat a dang good sandwich, c) get free wireless, and d) simultaneously hear 5 different languages being spoken within 10 feet of where I am sitting.
It always snows or rains on Mondays...the day I am outside most. Awesome.
If people are going to grafitti obscenities in English all over town, could they at least have the decency to use proper grammar instead of writing things like "F*&^ you're money" in huge, red letters on building for all to see? No sir, I am not money and please don't use that language around me.

Ok...that's just a little view of Mondays in the life of Hanna. Ok, get out of my head now... :-)

More on Indiana Jones....

2009-03-05T13:53:00.004+01:00

So, remember the epic story of how Indiana Jones is a parent of one of my students? Well, I have a huge update friends...if you haven't read the beginning of this story, I would recommend reading it before continuing. Either way, the shock value of this story is still high. First of all, I received an update recently on the current occupation of the man who I thought was ACTUALLY Indiana Jones. I was informed that he is a hunter. How anyone makes this their daily occupation, let alone in Budapest, Hungary is beyond my comprehension. Anyways, today I walked into school a bit antzy because I had to substitute and take all 30 children in my 2b class...this class includes the four boys that make me want to tear my eyes out every time I have them. As I walked down the hall to their class, I noticed some of the boys in the class were playing "guns" in the hallway, and shooting with their fake finger-guns into the classroom. Naturally, I just thought, "Boys...", and turned to walk into the classroom where my horror of 2b was blown out of the water by what I saw. I turned to see the former Indiana Jones playing guns with the kids. But formerly being Indiana Jones, he did not use his silly fingers as guns. No, he was pointing a hunting rifle as big as me at all of the children and pretending to shoot. Now, this was a source of HUGE culture shock, because if this were to occur in America, chaos would ensue and the story would inevitably be all over national news. But in Hungary...it's a totally normal way to play. Shocked, I looked at the teacher who looked at me like "Awww, isn't it cute?" (nem, no ma'am, it is NOT). When he finished his pretend mutilation of all the 2nd graders in the classroom, he put his huge hunting rifle back into it's lovely velvet cover, tipped his hat, and said "Csokolom, visontlatasra", and was gone.

The Sport of Statue Accosting 101:

2009-03-03T17:40:00.008+01:00

People in the States have been led to believe that the most popular sport in Europe is soccer, but I've come to learn that the people of America are being deceived. Let me be your witness, friends...the sport of the day in Europe is not football...but Statue Accosting. What is this crazy debauchery, you ask? Well, it is exactly as it sounds...you find statues...and accost them. Example A: Now, there are some rules when it comes to playing this intense game. First of all, it is imperative that you spend a minute or two coming up with the best way to accost. As seen above, coming in from the front is not always the best approach, although it may seem to be. It can sometimes benefit the hilarity of the picture if you are to deceive the witnesses and go around. Also, if a statue is positioned in a way that you can get the most laughs out of the picture by making it completely and totally inappropriate, it might just be necessary to get the best score (no pun intended) and to just be inappropriate. You also get bonus points for every onlooker that you are able to offend in the process of accosting. This is also a sport where people who are tall have a possible advantage. Please note the challenges a short person might face, and compare it with that of a tall person below. The results are sad, but true. Example B: The last piece of information you might want to know before taking up the sport of Statue Accosting is to know your subject. For instance, it might benefit you BEFORE you hug a statue to know how many people the person the statue represents killed in his or her lifetime before becoming a statue... Example C: Due to the lack of statues to accost in the USA, the sport is not expected to take hold anytime soon...but I will keep you updated on any such activity occuring to the best of my knowledge...happy accosting!

Hanna Nichols, official tour guide for cute boys visiting Budapest...

2009-02-24T19:59:00.008+01:00

Ok, no...I lied. I'm not any sort of official tour guide in Budapest for attractive boys (although I'm sure a few of you got your hopes up). But over the weekend I did in fact have the privilege of showing a super awesome (and yes, very cute) boy around my "'hood". I must say too, that it will be a hard weekend to top on the list of "Awesome Weekends in the Life of Hanna Nichols". I won't give a complete run-down of the weekend, as I'm sure some of you might have to excuse yourselves to vomit during reading, but I'll give you a few highlights and some pictures to give you the idea...you might puke anyways though...sorry! :-)

Got to experience every girl's ultimate dream of seeing a guy in the distance at a train station with a huge smile on his face...for me. I can think of a few of you who are done already. Mwahahaha.
A lovely stroll around Castle Hill at night (the best thing to do in Budapest, according to this esteemed tour guide), along with some Forralt Bor and Bartok to top it off!
Saturday was spent at Statue Park with Lauren and Jules, her visitor. Statue Park is where Hungary decided to toss all the statues put up around Budapest during the Soviet Era. Of course, they didn't see much need to make it very convenient to get to, but I loved it! We had fun accosting statues all day.

I get to go visit Alvin's (see above reference to "cute boy") digs next weekend, so more to come. :-)

Newest Akos-ism....

2009-02-19T19:48:00.002+01:00

(Please refer to last weeks entry entitled "Akos-isms" for complete story...) So last week's Akos-ism was "Welcome to the town center!" The new one for this week? Well, it's an eye-opener for sure...today he said, "We have now arrived at the ski lodge!", with immense excitement. As there was no ski lodge ACTUALLY in sight at that moment in the school hallway, I began to wonder. Last week was the first normal week after the "Ski Week" the week before. "Ski Week" means that all the teachers get to stay in school and teach while kids have the option of going somewhere totally rad to ski all week, or just go to Grandma's house (which is with no doubt, also rad). I know Akos was missing that week. Therefore, there is only one solution to the question of where these new phrases emerged: Obviously, Akos went to Grandma's house that week. They drank tea, made cookies, played cards, watched "Wheel of Fortune", everything. He then met her next door neighbor, who was very busy practicing his lines, as he was about to start his new job as an international tour guide at an exclusive ski resort in the mountains of Kazakstan. As they got to chatting, the neighbor (let's call him Zoltan) learned Akos is a thriving student of the English language (it's true, he's one of my best!). Akos told Zoltan that he'd really love to impress his awesome American teacher with some English. Since Zoltan only knows enough English to give tours of ski resorts, those are the two phrases he taught Akos. Then they ate salami sandwiches as good Hungarians do....THE END.

"Akos-isms"

2009-02-12T13:37:00.002+01:00

I seriously have so many fun kid stories lately...I could write a book I bet. So, Akos...he's one of my 2nd graders, and he is just a character. He's always excited and happy, he's kind to everyone, and he just has a good sense of humor. Lately, he makes me laugh on a daily basis because of what I like to call "Akos-isms". Every week, Akos seems to come to my class with a new, totally random English saying that he did not know the week before. Then he proceeds to say them at random times...and they never relate to what we are learning, of course. They are always short and sweet....but they have kick. Most of these sayings are probably sayings he won't say often (or ever again in some cases), but they never cease to make me laugh my butt off. I am starting to think that maybe he has signed up for some "Weekly English Phrases" email list...an email list that likes to play crude jokes on English learners. Here are a few "Akos-isms" for you:

"Come to my igloo!"
"Let's have a party at my place."
"Good game!"
"Welcome to the town center!"
"See you later, dude!"

What makes it even better is that he has a little sister who is one of my 1st graders...every once in awhile she'll throw them in there too and tell me Akos told her to say it. Look out for the newest Akos-ism, which will hopefully be coming out next week.

Yet another cute kid story that will melt your heart....

2009-02-11T13:47:00.002+01:00

Yup, I have plenty of these ones saved up in my head for rainy days when I need a pick-me-up. Here's just one kid story that happened today: Through the end of this week, I will be making Valentines with my little ones, and it all started today. My personal favorite way to make Valentines is to make "heart people". It is just like it sounds. You cut out a big heart. You make a face on it with heart eyes and a heart nose. You make arms with heart hands...legs with heart feet...you get the idea. Anyways, I made a whole lesson out of it with the kiddos and I was helping them write out notes on the back of their heart people. Most of the kids were making them for their mothers. I was having them write a simple message..."Happy Valentine's Day, Mom! I love you." One of my little ones, Aron...who has a new baby sister (named Hanna actually...he loves to tell me that and he even sent me pictures in the form of an email once). He decided to make his for her, and he wanted to write his own special note on the back. He approached me during class (keep in mind, I didn't know who he was making it for at the time), and here's what he said...

Aron: "How to spell 'I love you'?"
Hanna: writes it on the board
Aron, a few minutes later: "Ok, now how to spell 'mine beautiful Valentine'?"
Hanna, before even noticing the grammar mistake: "That's nice! Who is it for?"
Aron: "Mine beautiful Valentine sister, Hanna."
Hanna: melts, then proceeds to give him a hug for being so dang cute
Aron: awkwardly hugs me, gives me a weird look, then returns to his work
Hanna: Recovers, then quickly makes sure he writes "my" and not "mine" :-)

How to find a way to Hanna's heart...according to my 1st graders

2009-02-06T10:29:00.008+01:00

I have never found myself as swept off my feet and melted into puddles of Hanna as often as I do at school everyday. If I am ever insecure about myself again, slap me, and remind me of these times. Because I have many boys who know just the right ways to my heart. So, here is a list of the ways to impress the heck out of me, as I imagine it would be, according to my 1st grade boys...

Give Hanna lots of hugs- Hanna loves hugs...anytime, any place.
Laugh at her jokes- Hanna is funny...really! Laugh at her jokes, and it makes her extremely happy. If you laugh to the point of snot coming out of your nose (which is a daily occurrence in our world), it might make her laugh even more.
Make her homemade presents- Hanna gets very excited when you work hard on something, and then present it as a gift. She doesn't seem to be the fancy dinner, diamond rings, fancy car type of girl...little things make her happiest.
Dance, dance, dance- Hanna loves a guy who will dance, even if all he knows how to do is wiggle his butt and jump around like us first graders do.
Little acts of love- If Hanna is carrying multiple bags, it will make her swoon to the point of melting in a puddle if you take the biggest bag and proceed to drag it up the stairs to your classroom for her. She might even hug you for it.
Tell her she's awesome- Hanna loves to hear nice things about herself, as most girls do. We tell her multiple times a day how beautiful and kind she is, and it seems to make her incredibly happy all the time.
Ask her to play games all the time- We like fun adventures, and so does Hanna. She enjoys spending break time playing hide and go seek and helping us fly paper airplanes. If there is an adventure to be had, take Hanna along.

So now you can see why 1) I love my job so much, and 2) a huge part of why I am happy all the time is my students. 1st graders know where its at when it comes to impressing girls!

Eger Adventures

2009-02-02T16:17:00.003+01:00

A view of beautiful Eger from the top of the Minaret.

We went to the "Valley of Beautiful Women", which is actually just a series of caves which hold a lot of wine cellars...so we drank.

This is me, looking down from the tall Minaret.

Catching Butterflies

2009-01-30T14:18:00.003+01:00

So, this week, my 2nd graders are learning verbs, along with the phrases "I can", and "I can't". Today, we were working on writing sentences and we were talking as a class about what we can and can't do...I wrote things on the board like: "I can ride a bike", "I can't skateboard", etc. Then I told the kids that they needed to write 5 sentences about what they can/can't do. They had interesting answers like "I can [play] Playstation!", and "I can play the recorder" (I should know, I hear "Hot Cross Buns" being played alllll day in the halls). Then two of my favorite little girls, Flora and Nori came up and wanted to say something about butterflies. They kept saying "I can't...", then jump around and clasp their hands. When I realized what they were thinking, I almost melted in a puddle right there because it was just about the cutest thing ever...they wanted to say "I can't catch butterflies with my hands." I automatically thought about non-kids, like myself, and I ran through my head all of the things we always say we can't do...."I can't be smart enough", "I can't be good enough", "I can't be beautiful enough", etc. It made me really wish we thought as simply as my students, who don't care about any of those things...they just care about catching butterflies in their hands.

Here Comes the Sun...(doo doo doo doooooo)

2009-01-25T19:43:00.007+01:00

Important sighting in Budapest: The Sun (also known widely as Mr. Sun), who mysteriously vacated Hungary in early January without notice or explanation, was spotted in town this weekend. He was first seen Saturday morning, peeking through the windows of several inhabitants of Budapest. This writer also spotted Mr. Sun in several other areas around Budapest, including anywhere and everywhere. He was spotted on Castle Hill, where he was found emitting Vitamin-D and UV rays into the starved skin of countless Hungarians. His disappearance in early January shocked and saddened many, and he left behind him a trail of rain and clouds that have been reeking havoc on the smiles and hairstyles of Hungarians everywhere (not to mention this expat, who, up until this weekend was smiling only 90% of the day, rather than 100%). The reappearance of Mr. Sun has come as a huge welcome by many, but some are skeptical that the elusive Mr. Sun will stick around for long.

Below, Mr. Sun is seen hugging St. Istvan's Basilica

Mr. Sun was also seen leaving remnants of

himself in the form of sparkles on the Danube River.

Aw, crap....

2009-01-15T22:05:00.003+01:00

I will tell you this story in the form of my exact thoughts as they played out while riding on the bus today....Hmmm...what a chilly day. Sun, are you there? Don't you love me anymore? What will I have for dinner tonight? Wow, what an unkempt looking man that is standing over there in the corner of the bus. He looks wiggly. That's a lot of traffic out there on the highway...it's getting dark. Wow, why is the unkempt man squatting down now? Wait, why are his pants at his ankles? WAIT a second...WHAT is that on the floor? Why are all the people backing away!? Crap. Literally. Uh-oh...laugh attack coming. The mysteriously unkempt man just pooped on the floor of a moving bus. The bus has stopped...people are angry. Maybe this is my que to get off the bus, which will soon be smelly and contaminated. Laugh attack starting. Ok, stop offending other riders by laughing. What the hell? A man just dropped trow and pooped on your bus. Laugh away.

Thanks Russia...but not so much...

2009-01-08T13:42:00.004+01:00

So, Hungary likes to do this thing where they have designated "work days" on random Saturdays. This means that on several Saturdays throughout the year, the whole country of Hungary goes to work, as if it were a weekday(yes, that's 6 days of work in a week, people!). Being that I'm a foreigner here and do not speak the language, I'm often not notified about these workdays until oh, a week beforehand. So, when I returned from my lovely holiday at home, I (along with my fellow foreign teachers throughout Hungary) discovered there is a work day this coming Saturday...pardon my language, but BALLS! Don't get me wrong, I DO love my kids so much...and if I did have to spend my Saturday working, I'm glad I get to hang with them...BUT I also enjoy my sleep verrrrrry much (especially after a week of being plagued by jet lag). Well, in a seemingly totally unrelated issue, Russia has decided to turn off its gas lines leading to Europe this week in a bold political move. This means that pipelines all over Europe are effected, PARTICULARLY ones in Eastern and Central Europe....how conveeeenieent. If you haven't heard about Russia's shenanigans, enjoy this little read over a cup of coffee... http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/07/world/europe/07gazprom.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&em. How is this related to me having to work on Saturday, you ask? Well, when I arrived to school this morning, I was greeted by rumors that that government might postpone our workday. Of course, I didn't dare belive and get my hopes up, only to be let down later on....yet, I was curious! I came to find that in fact, the government here in Hungary HAS postponed the workday this Saturday because they simply cannot afford to heat public buildings for a whole extra day. Woo hoo! But WAIT...I sure hope the heat in my nice, warm flat holds up for awhile so I don't freeze in this cold, dead winter in Hungary. Oh well, I get to sleep-in Saturday, so I'll worry about that later.

There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays...

2009-01-05T14:36:00.002+01:00

Yup, just returned back to Budapest after an amazing two and a half weeks at home in Colorado. While I was home and in the two days I've been back, a lot of people asked me if it was weird going home...or weird coming back. I've thought about it, and really...it was not so weird for me. At all. I really could not have asked for a better time at home, and I was equally happy about coming back here for another six glorious months. I really think that much of this attitude of mine can be attributed to a couple things: 1) I don't want to "toot my own horn" (what the heck...TOOT! TOOT!), but I think I am quite lighthearted and am enthused (sometimes too) easily. Going from place to place isn't such a bother. And, 2) something that makes all of this easier is that no matter how you leave a place, some things just never change. How wonderful. Here are some things I realized haven't changed since I've been gone from home (and I hope never do):

Maggie will ALWAYS come greet me at the door happily, and with her tail wagging so much it seems she might fall over. I wish having her nose in my butt at these times would change, but alas, it has not. Oh well...
Mom will always straighten up my room for me before I get home...even if I tell her not to. Her amazing spaghetti also tastes the same every time...THANK THE LORD.
Dad still falls asleep in his chair before 9pm, without fail. He also will always say "So, wanna wake up at 5am with me to walk the dog?"...maybe someday I'll actually say yes.
A Chipotle burrito still has such an effect on me that I actually get depressed when I see the last bite go.
Katie (yup, she's almost 20 years old, people!) still wakes me up before the sun usually does on Christmas morning...I also hope this one NEVER changes, even when we're 80 and eating chocolate cake for breakfast. :-)
That dang drainpipe on the side of our house (right outside my room) STILL makes the most horrible sound ever heard by human ears when there's anything more than a breeze outside.
Camp people (or as my dad lovingly puts it, "that cult you are apart of") are still the greatest people this world has seen in my eyes.
Hannah still wears her fluffy pink marshmallow jacket everywhere...I think she's owned it since I've known her...and I hope she wears it until she can wear it no more.
The mountains of Colorado...they remain as the most beautiful and comforting sight to me.
Quite possibly my favorite thing...even after being gone for any amount of time, there are those friends who see you, and everything just falls back into place as if you'd never left. Just wonderful.

Everything is still pretty much the same here in Budapest as well, thankfully (aside from the price of my metro pass increasing to 9,000 ft. Darn it!). My kids happily greeted me this morning as they always did, and of course...my bus passed and then left the bus stop while I was still waiting to cross the street, as usual. :-)

Santa spotting in Budapest

2008-12-16T13:43:00.005+01:00

Spotted! Santa DOES exist...AND he enjoys wine and bread. While walking around the lovely Budapest Christmas Market at Vorosmarty Ter (pardon the lack of accents, as I cannot type them on my computer) I saw the big man himself. I spotted him taking a load off at one of the food stands. Who knew Santa enjoyed a nice forralt bor (hot wine) and slice of bread? Maybe I'll take note of that and change it up from leaving out milk and cookies on Christmas Eve.

I wish we all thought as logically as my 2nd graders...

2008-12-09T17:58:00.004+01:00

I'm reviewing "winter clothing" and Christmas with my 2nd graders this week and yesterday I was going through flash cards with them. One of my classes was pretty stumped when I held up the card for "gloves". Suddenly little Adam's hand popped up and he exclaimed "hand boxes!" Hmmm...I'm thinking that Adam is pretty smart. Gloves...what kind of word is that, anyways? I might start saying that it's time to get out the hand boxes when it gets chilly.

A 1st grader tells the REAL story of Mikulás

2008-12-02T12:57:00.007+01:00

Let me preface this story by explaining my previous understanding of what Mikulás (St. Nicholas) day is here in Hungary: on the evening of December 5th, little children in Hungary put their best shoes out on their windowsill. During the night, Mikulás comes and visits. When they wake up the next morning, the children find their shoes filled with candy and small presents. I had guessed that the tradition of "Santa" coming early was due to the Catholic influence and traditions here in Hungary. Boy, was I wrong! Today I was having a little chat with little Jamie (pictured here) who is a 1st grader of mine, and is half-British...so he speaks fluent English. Along with being my little helper in translating, he is my source of real conversation and information...usually on the subject of puppies, Pokemon cards, and his colored pencils. Today however, he told me the real story of Mikulás here in Hungary:

Me: So Jamie, are you excited about a visit from Mikulás on Saturday?
Jamie: Oh yes, very much. Do you know why Santa visits us early here in Hungary?
Me (very curious): No I sure don't, please tell me!
Jamie: Well, you see...Santa is quite a large man. It's not easy for him to get around with all that extra weight. He also has lots of elves and Mrs. Claus to take care of. He's a busy man.
Me: Yes, he's got a tough job!
Jamie: He does, which is why it's very hard for him to visit the WHOLE world and give presents to EVERYONE in one night. So Hungary (apparently as a country?) called Santa one day and asked him if he could come to us earlier...you know, to make it easier on him. That way, he can hang out with Mrs. Claus, the elves, and get everything done before Christmas Eve when he visits the rest of the world.
Me: Oh, I see (trying my hardest to contain my laughter). That makes so much sense. What a smart thing for Hungary to do.

DUH! I apologize to all of Hungary for my previous misunderstanding as to why Santa comes early :-) And thank you to Jamie for correcting me!

Scented Toilet Paper?

2008-11-30T19:07:00.002+01:00

Another piece of cultural enlightenment! Soo...as if scented toilet paper will help appease the smell of...things...I happened to grab the "creamy" scented toilet paper...WHAT?

Lots of thanks from Hungary this Thanksgiving

2008-11-30T15:57:00.002+01:00

My first Thanksgiving away from the States turned out to be incredible! All that was missing was the people I love back home. Monday I got snow, Wednesday and Thursday I made hand turkeys with all the kids at school, and Thursday night I had an amazing Thanksgiving meal with an abundance of people! We not only had Americans from my program, but we were fortunate enough to be able to share Thanksgiving with a few really amazing Hungarians. We ate, drank, and had great conversation and laughed A LOT. Because Thanksgiving is really about keeping things in mind that we cherish and are well, thankful for...I thought I'd make a list of some of the "little things" I have come to enjoy and be oh, so thankful for here in Hungary...

Getting a million hugs before the hour of 8AM every day.
Those rare times where I arrive at the bus stop right as the correct bus rolls up.
Waking up without an alarm
Hide and seek in the hallway...and getting awkward glances from other teachers as they walk by and see me (a fellow professional colleague) crouching behind benches with laughing children.
Hearing kids yell "Hanna!!" with immense excitement when they see I've come to pick them up for English class.
The smiles I get from the toothless, non-English speaking man who sells fruit and veggies outside of the grocery store by my flat.
The sound of the ring on my computer when someone calls me on Skype.
The way Hungarians often pronounce their English v's as w's...so words like village, university, and very come out as willage, uniwersity, and wery. But hey, I can pronounce about 3 Hungarian words altogether, so I can't give them too much of a hard time.
Seeing packages and cards on my table at work when the mail comes.
Talking and laughing with my favorite Hungarian friend, Gergo about the meanings of different words like "fluffy", and "squishy", and expressions like "drooling" over the opposite sex and "watching out for bed bugs"
Getting coffee that comes with a little cookie on the plate with your coffee!
The little jingles on the metros and trams when they reach their destination.

I hope they brighten your day like they often do mine!

Hanna's Handy-Dandy Guide to Public Transport in Budapest

2008-11-09T19:57:00.006+01:00

For anyone unfamiliar with the system of public transportation in Budapest, worry no more! I have compiled a guide that is a must-have for anyone making their way around Budapest. With this guide, you can minimize angry encounters with employees of public transport, grumpy elderly ladies, and you will be able to blend in perfectly with your fellow travelers. Enjoy! 1. When boarding the trolleybus/tram/metro, it is imperative that you board with the hastiest of hastiness! Those seats get taken quickly! And physically wrestling someone for a seat is not at all out of the question. Darwin's theory of Survival of the Fittest prevails in this rough-and-tumble world. 2. If you should be unfortunate enough to NOT get a seat, HOLD ON FOR DEAR LIFE. The drivers are not there to make sure you don't fall and scrape your knee (or get a concussion from slamming into the walls and other people)...in fact, the drivers are amused by watching people bounce around and they will drive horribly to indulge this sick fetish. 3. The signs posted that warn against drinking, eating, and talking on your cell phone are more for the purpose of suggestion, rather than stating rules. If you are going to drink while commuting, there's also no need to be classy about it...drink straight out of the bottle/can if you wish. But God forbid, if you put your feet on the seats, prepare to die. 4. If you are the type of person that hates waiting for public transport, then Budapest transport will constantly make you angry. Expect to wait long and often for your transportation. And your bus/tram/metro WILL pull up to your stop and then drive away again when you are still waiting to cross the street or coming down the escalator to get to the stop...you can make your best attempt to chase after it, but don't be let down when you are left in the dust huffing and puffing. Let it go, you'll catch the next one...if it shows up. 5. If your bus should come to a sudden stop, and should the bus driver get off and return to the bus with an unknown part of the bus dripping in oil, that is the sign that you should disembark the bus and walk or wait for the next one. That bus ain't goin' anywhere no more. 6. For those couples out there who are still living at home with your parents and have nowhere to get cozy with your "honey", public transport is the perfect alternative! Find a cozy seat, lock lips, and completely disregard everyone around you. The more sounds you make, the better. People LOVE watching other people eat each others faces while traveling...and single people love it the most. 7. Avoid public transport officials at all costs. They WILL find a way to hassle you and take your money. You could have transportation passes stocked up for the next 6 months, and they will find something wrong and fine you. Should you have an encounter with one of these people, you might just end up having to pay...or if you are the athletic type, running away has been known to be effective on several occasions *see entry entitled "My first run in with the Hungarian authorities". 8. A note on night buses. The night bus is a great place to do some people watching, and you can even meet some pretty interesting characters...but the safest suggestion is to just sit and stare out the window. Do not make eye contact with anyone, particularly people who have crazy eyes or who cannot seem to keep themselves in a standing position. If someone looks pail and woozy, sit a few seats away, or preferably on the opposite side of the bus. Also, don't be surprised when your bus sometimes decides to take a different route than listed and then dump you at an unknown location in the middle of the dead night. 9. Whatever you do, DO NOT try to make conversation with people on public transportation in Budapest. The "F-U, don't bother me" look that everyone has on their face isn't just for show. This point is particularly imperative on morning commutes...should you speak to someone, they will not only scowl, but you will get a big whiff of morning breath that will haunt you throughout the day. 10. It is customary in Budapest to get up and stand anxiously at the door of the trolleybus/tram/metro at least two stops before you have to disembark. You may want to push others out of the way as well, even if they are getting off as well. No one knows why this custom has come into existence (or still exists at all), but if you really want to fit in, it is suggested you follow along.

Rest and Relaxation in Croatia (Fall Break, Part 2)

2008-11-04T14:37:00.005+01:00

The second part of my Fall Break was spent in the beautiful country of Croatia. It's still amazing to me to think that this country didn't even exist as an independent nation until a decade ago. I went on the trip with three amazing girls from my program who I got to know well on this trip and look forward to getting to know more as we continue here in Hungary. My absolute favorite part of the trip for me was in our visit to Zadar. This is a small town on the coast of Croatia, and it was absolutely gorgeous, and we were blessed with wonderful weather as well. Since the tourist season is over in Croatia, the town was pretty deserted, and it took us all of about an hour to see most of the sights. That meant we got to relax and cafe-hop A LOT! I LOVED just sitting and drinking coffee while enjoying the sounds of the waves and breathing in the sea-air, along with people-watching (quick sidenote: Europe is a wonderful place for sipping coffee and watching some interesting people. It's pretty much my favorite thing to do now). My absolute FAVORITE part of Zadar however, was the Sea Organ: The Sea Organ is pretty much exactly as it sounds...built into the dock are a bunch of holes and slits that are engineered as such so that beautiful sounds emerge when the waves hit the dock. I can't even describe the sound to you, but I can tell you it was beautiful and it will be worth ANOTHER trip for me someday. I just wanted to spend all day sitting by the dock and listening to the beautiful music. Who would have thought you could experience a little of la dolce vita in Eastern Europe?

Lessons in Life in Transylvania (Fall Break, Part 1)

2008-11-04T13:56:00.007+01:00

I was able to spend the last ten days of October traveling in Transylvania and Croatia. I was on Fall Break from school here, and the break was much-needed by the time I left for my trip. October was a roller coaster month here in Hungary. The newness of Budapest had worn off and I came to the realization that I would be here, away from the people closest to me for another 8 months. I was tired and ready for a break from it all, and I found just what I needed in the two trips that I took. Rather than give a complete synopsis of my trip through Transylvania, I'd rather just elaborate on just a snapshot of my trip that highlighted something I've been realizing my whole time here in Hungary. Since arriving here in Hungary, I've been awakened to the realization of how truly lucky I am in life. I've grown up with amazing people around me who constantly support me in both my triumphs and times of weakness. Don't get me wrong, I have always been aware of the fact that I have a lot of incredible people present in my life. It's something I always consciously try not to take for granted. But I think that everyone could use tangible reminders of these things every once in awhile! One of our stops in Transylvania was in a small village near the former Austro-Hungarian border. We visited a family of people (three generations, in fact!) who are all still living together in the same house. Not only are they still living in the same house, they are still living in the same ONE-ROOM house! At first I was astonished and appalled at this fact (on top of seeing how small the space was), realizing these people almost never get "alone time"...something I thrive on. After getting back on the bus and thinking about it though, I realized that the family in that house really DOES have everything they need. The people living in that house have the constant presence and support of their family members. From what I could tell, each person showed an abundance of love for the others. Since they have that (here comes the cheesy part...you'll have to pardon me), they seem to have no need for more space or possessions. All they really need is each other. I think about that and I am filled with appreciation for the special people in my life who won't falter. It's truly a rare thing in life to have people like I have to miss like the dickens (because I DO miss people SO much) and to be thinking about constantly. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm SO thankful to have SO SO SO much to be homesick for.

Dearest Elderly Ladies of Hungary....

2008-10-13T20:13:00.005+02:00

Dearest Elderly Ladies of Hungary, First of all, I must state that I cannot make a COMPLETE generalization of Hungarian females over the age of 60 because I have met a few of you who are as sweet as sugar. BUT I must say that the majority of you need a major 'tude check. I realize getting old isn't easy and I dread the day it happens for me(although I can't wait to take advantage of those AARP discounts and watching Wheel of Fortune all day), but I can't take it anymore. Since you've driven me to the point of wanting to shake my fist at you every time I see any of you, I feel the need to file proper complaints and justifications for everything you openly judge me for. I write this in hopes of coming to an agreement so everyone can be a little happier. For your convenience (because you would probably snarl at me if I didn't write this in an orderly fashion), I have compiled a formal list of instances where I would prefer you to "check your attitude at the door" (insert a couple sassy finger snaps here). Please refer to the following: 1) I realize your bodies aren't totally up to par with a young whipper-snapper like myself, but when I try to pass you on the sidewalk, PLEASE don't grumble as if the sidewalk is a no-passing zone. I am all about stopping to smell the roses, but if I continue to walk behind you, the roses will bloom, die, and then grow again next season by the time I get to my destination. 2) PLEASE stop staring at my feet very disdainfully when I wear flip-flops or a skirt without stockings! And no, your constant glares and grimaces won't make me magically pull a pair of long-johns out of my bag and put them on to make you happy. You don't catch colds from the weather...you catch it from bacteria exchanged between individuals... 3) ...which brings me to my next point...when you cough and/or sneeze, cover your mouth so as to not cover me in phlegm! If you would like me to point you in the direction of some Kleenex or cough drops, I would be more than happy to...assuming you speak English. 4) This is more of a suggestion, rather than a formal grievance...it might be a good idea to check yourself out a little more closely in the mirror and take some tweezers (or in some cases a razor and shaving cream) to those long hairs sprouting up on your chins. Check your ears and nose while you're at it....but like I said...just a suggestion. 5) My last point is meant to be a form of encouragement...I realize the world isn't always on your side. I know you've lived through some pretty (pardon my French) crappy stuff in your lifetime. But can you please smile once in awhile? Actually, I won't even ask that much...could you at least not look utterly miserable and grumpy all the time? Maybe if you practiced smiling for just a few minutes a day, it could become more of a habit. Believe me, it's not as horrible as people may have led you to believe up until now. I fully plan to make it my everyday mission to make you a little happier. I will continue to smile at you, even when the gesture isn't returned. I will gladly help you get into a seat or give up my seat if there is nowhere to sit. If you take a little longer getting on the bus and I'm a few minutes late to my destination, I will not make a fuss because like I said earlier, getting old is hell. But if I hold up my end of the bargain, I would very much appreciate some help from your side in making my life and the lives of others a little better (i.e. not a living hell when in your presence). Thank you for your time. Signed with love, Hanna Nichols

Hanging out with the offspring of rockstars and diplomats

2008-10-08T16:17:00.006+02:00

I think I've mentioned before that the school I teach at happens to be one of the more "exclusive" schools for bilingual education in Budapest. But little did I know I've been instilling knowledge upon the sons and daughters of some quite important people here in Hungary! This discovery occurred yesterday when I was hanging out before class, watching Mate do his daily routine of showing me his best air guitar. He usually ends his performance by spinning around on the ground and waiting patiently for my reaction of shock and awe. I should mention that Mate is one of my first graders, so he's about 6 years old. He also is the only 6 year old I know that comes to school with a popped collar everyday. He usually sports a trendy argyle sweater and has the beginnings of a "faux-hawk" going. I still happen to think he's pretty adorable. Anyways, he was finishing off his daily jam session, and his teacher walked in. She shook her head and laughed. In broken English, she then replied to me, "maybe he gets it from his dad...he's a rockstar." Naturally, I responded with, "excuse me?!" She proceeded to tell me that Mate's dad was part of a popular Hungarian alternative rockband in the 1980s called Sziami. Of course I spent the afternoon Googling Mate's dad and his band from back in the day. Ohhhh, did I come upon a fun discovery! As you will be able to see when you watch this video, I cannot tell which one is the infamous father of my student, BUT you WILL be able to see that this video is just incredible in so many ways. I must ask you to first prepare yourself for the greatness that will follow when you click here. Oh, and if I wasn't "starstruck" enough...another girl came up to me today and said (in her best-rehearsed-3 million times English possible), "My father is a diplomat!" She then looked at me as if I should gravel at her feet and give her 10 gold stars, simply for being alive. Sheesh!

The Budapest Marathon

2008-10-05T18:37:00.005+02:00

Today I experienced my first time running in a race. Fortunately for me, my first ever race turned out to be in the beautiful city of Budapest! I ran in the Budapest International Marathon, but of course I chose to run the "Mini-Marathon"...which was a 7.5k (or about 4.7 miles). My super-duper running partner, Carla brought up the idea a few weeks ago to everyone in the program, and of course we were the only ones who ended up committing to the run. I couldn't have asked for a better buddy! As anyone who follows my blog closely knows, I have been running a little bit while here in Budapest (and it always seems to be an adventure...), but I definitely have slacked the past few weeks. I was a little antzy this morning as I pinned my number to my shirt, but it was a beautifully sunny day...and there was a chill in the air that made it perfect running weather. Carla and I set out at about 9 to head to Hosok Tere (Hero's Square) where the race started. We got some pictures, stretched, cheered on the marathon runners (and quickly basqued in knowing that we would NOT be running for the next few HOURS) and then went to the starting gate and anxiously awaited our race! As I heard the countdown from 10 in Hungarian, I knew it was almost time, and then we set off down Andrassy Ut! Andrassy Ut is basically the Champs-Elysses of Budapest...while it's not QUITE as grand, it is still pretty specatular and I was feeling incredible as I ran with a huge crowd of people down this huge street. As we ran back through Varosliget (City Park) and rounded the finish line, I was quite excited when I saw Carla's face at the end...yes, she's a superstar runner and ran ahead of me in the first 5 minutes...but she was there at the end to cheer me on!! When I pulled up, the first think she asked me was, "was that your first race?!" I hadn't thought about it, but then I said "Well yes, yes it was!" I had been so focused on actually running and the fact I was running IN Budapest, I had never stopped to think this was my first race...AND I had just finished in quite good time! I was so excited and proud of myself! I really don't consider myself a runner. I am more of a hiking, biking type girl. I usually hate running actually...but today was so much fun, and it's served as sort of a motivation to keep it up! Well, let's be honest...once I get back to CO, I might just go hug a mountain and hop on my bike and ride off into the sunset and never run again...but when in Rome... :-)

A Shout-out to 1.b

2008-09-30T20:57:00.007+02:00

So, I know it's "against the rules" of teaching to pick favorites...even though every teacher has favorites. After a month of teaching, I have chosen both a favorite class AND a favorite student. First, I should probably give a short explanation of how schools work here in Hungary. Unlike the United States, classes stay together throughout their primary schooling (through 8th grade). This means that each class does not disband at the end of every year and then get assorted into a new group for the next year...rather, they continue on as a class through each grade. I see positive and negative aspects to this, which I won't get into now. But the biggest reason I can gather for this tradition that has been in place for several decades now is the sense of comradeship that comes with getting to know your fellow 25 or 30 students throughout your primary schooling. Considering Hungary's sad history, which has been constantly filled with uncertainty and isolation, it is understandable that it is part of the culture here to feel the need to work together and to have people to help and count on as they embark on the road of education. There is a huge element of pessimism among people here, where the idea of just "waiting for the next bad thing to come our way", prevails. Therefore, it is important to have this connection to fall back on. Okay, enough of the cultural lessons for today...onto the fun stuff. There are three 1st grade classes at Varosliget Primary School...1.a, 1.b, and 1.c. I have taken a special interest in 1.b. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE all of the 1st graders...but this class is very special in my opinion, and I am happy to know they will stay together through 8th grade. I have never seen a group of kids 1) so well-behaved...it's a miracle, and 2) so excited about EVERYTHING. When we sing songs, it is a straight-up dance party in the classroom...complete with air guitar and mock ballroom dancing. I pull out flashcards to learn new words, and these kids bounce off of the walls. I had the privilege of going to the zoo with the class last week, and they just spent the whole time enthralled with both learning the animal names in English, and teaching ME some names in Hungarian (for a day picker-upper, I recommend looking at my pictures from the day...you can't help but smile when you see these kids). After looking at my pictures, you will notice who my favorite student is...little Oliver. Our little connection started after he had a dream about me one night. He said (translated through his teacher) he dreamed that I was able to speak fluent Hungarian and that he was so happy to be able to get to know me and have me really know him because we could talk (I know, SO cute). Ever since then, he's been my little magnet, and every time I walk into the room he lights up. I cannot tell you the amount of joy this brings me! He used to be shy in class, and now he raises his hand BEFORE I ask a question in hopes that he can answer! It's funny...growing up, there's always that boy you wake up and go to school for. The one you purposefully get pretty for every day. Well, 1.b and little Oliver serve as my motivation on those days where it's a little tougher to get out of bed...on the days when I'm homesick and tired. They are my reason to get out of bed in the morning!

So, Indiana Jones is a parent of one of my students...

2008-09-23T12:53:00.004+02:00

This story starts all the way back at the first day of school...I walk into my first ever classroom at 8am, extremely nervous about meeting my first class. I was standing very anxiously in the front of the room while parents dropped off kids, and while other kids sat and stared at me as if I was some sort of alien. Suddenly, I looked to the door and did a double-take. Was it? No, it couldn't be. I could have sworn Indiana Jones had walked into the room...except he had an incredible mustache. Picture this...huge boots laced up with pant legs tucked into the top, an Indiana Jones-esque hat, a leather belt with all kinds of trinkets that seem like things boys from Camp would like, AND to top it off, a huge fur backpack. Soon, I came to the realization that this man was ACTUALLY a parent of one of my students. I started to see him every morning as he dropped his child off (he tips his hat to me everyday too, which I just find to be incredible), and every morning I wondered..."What occupation has this man chosen in life, and what kind of adventures does it entail?!" Last week I came to the conclusion that it is possible that he just likes to dress very rusticly. But today...today was huge in my observations of this man. Today he walked in wearing everything listed above, but in addition to these things he had a safari helmet, AND a ginormous bowstaff sticking out of his big fur bag! So, like I said...I really DO think Indiana Jones is the father of one of my students after all...

Paprika and Palinka in Kalocsa!

2008-09-21T19:08:00.002+02:00

What a weekend! I just returned from the wonderful little town of Kalocsa. I was there to 1) visit my wonderful friend, Franny (thanks SO much for hostessing!!! And Jon, thanks for your culinary skills this morning!) and 2) hit up the Paprika Festival that was there for the weekend. About 6 of us CETP Teachers turned up for the festivities, and boy, did we have a good time. When you paid for your ticket, you were given an empty bowl and about 4 pieces of bread. Then it was your turn to go paruse around the stalls and pick out what paprika-infested goulash you wanted to try. Here was the twist...most stalls had a lot of alcohol to hand out as well. It only took us a few minutes to learn that the people at these stalls were quite excited to give out some free booze to the Americans roaming through. When I say "booze", by the way, I don't just mean a nice glass of wine or a beer. The drink Hungarians are most famous for is called "palinka". It is basically a brandy that comes in many different flavors, and it is strong...no, I mean STRONG. It's about 60-70 proof. I've been cautioned in the past to have no more than 2 shots of it on any given day. I won't tell you the ACTUAL number of shots that I had in the course of Saturday, but I can tell you that I can just barely count it on my two hands. I mostly drank that much out of the interest of trying the many kinds they had at these stands...I even tried paprika-flavored Palinka!!! Beleive me, it's better than it sounds. By about 4 o'clock we were all feeling pretty dang good and so we decided we'd go to dinner. The stories developed out of the rest of the evening deserve personal renditions, so ask me later...BUT my favorite part was closing out the restaurant past midnight as we sat at our table with the owner and talked and talked (in Hungarian...or rather, I listened to Eliza and the waiter talk in Hungarian as I tried my best to learn and understand). He kept putting on vinyls of beautiful opera music and to express how he felt about every song he would pull a kleenex out of his pocket and wipe invisible tears...then he'd proceed to wave his hands as if he was leading the song. Oh, and he poured us a shot of palinka about every 15 minutes or so...needless to say, I'm "palinka'ed out" for the time being!

Budapest is for lovers...

2008-09-15T21:28:00.002+02:00

Yes, this is another thing to add to my extensive list of things I have very intently observed while here in Hungary. Budapest is in fact, for lovers. Everywhere I go, I see couples. Not only do I see couples, I see couples that have no issue whatsoever with PDA. I am pretty sure I watched a guy almost eat a girls face off while they were going down the escalator to the metro the other day. I have seen lovers loving on the bus, walking down the street, in the metros, at the metro stations, in restaurants, at the grocery store...the list goes on. And this display of love does not seem to me to be confined to any certain hours of the day either. As I got on the bus yesterday morning at 7 am to head to school, I was brought out of my half-sleeping state abruptly when I saw two teenagers rounding second base in the seat in front of me. Ok, yes, there is an element of "Ewww!" to this whole thing, especially considering I do not fall under the category of having a "lover" (sorry Hils, no luck yet) here, BUT some of my observations have been rather heartwarming. I got on the bus to go home the other night and watched a girl holding flowers (there shall be another blog on the subject of flowers at some point in the future) excitedly sit down in front of me as her male counterpart sat next to her and proceeded to kiss her cheek. As she turned away in attempts to hide the huge grin that then appeared on her face, I couldn't help but grin myself at how incredibly cute the whole situation was. It's quite understandable, when you consider how beautiful and romantic this city is (if you take away the random stenches of sewer smell, men playing the harmonica with their noses, and all the graffiti) that it is a place that belongs to lovers.

Update...

2008-09-12T13:31:00.002+02:00

New item to add onto list of "Interesting/Creepy Things Seen in Hungary": Man in hospital gown with chest covered in bandages leisurely cavorting at a cafe, drinking a beer at 2 in the afternoon.

My first run-in with the Hungarian "authorities"...

2008-09-09T17:22:00.002+02:00

Let me begin this entry by saying this actually isn't my FIRST run in with the Hungarian "5-0"...Hilary and I both can attest to that. Let's just say that Hils and I tried to "defraud" the metro in Hungary and it left us with a stern talking-to by some grumpy Transportation Officials and minus $40 in our pockets. It was through the previous experience that I learned that the Hungarian officials in charge of checking tickets and passes on metros/buses/trams are not of high enough authority to say, throw you up against a car, handcuff you, and put you in jail. They do, however, enjoy hassling you and taking your money. They usually...USUALLY are only at the metros. They stand in their little blue suits with armbands, ready to fight crime! I have been living in my apartment for almost 2 weeks now, and have yet to see one of these people on the bus I take (multiple times a day, mind you) until...today. I love to go to Varosliget (City Park) and run in the afternoons. It is just a short 5 min. bus ride away. No need to take my phone, purse, etc. Just my watch, running shoes, and my IPOD. I have normally put my bus pass inside my IPOD case, JUST IN CASE I have a run-in. I usually figure that with my luck in life, the one day I left my pass at home, I would get checked on the bus...and of course, the ONE DAY I forgot to put my pass in my IPOD case, what do you know?! A friendly Transportation Offical greeted me in the middle of my ride. When she saw I didn't have my pass on me, she made me get off at the next stop. Of course, I had no money on me, and know only little Hungarian...so I figured I had a couple of choices: 1) I could sit all day and try aruguing with someone who couldn't understand me until she got sick of me or ACTUALLY called the police, or 2) kill two birds with one stone and get away from this lady while getting a nice jog in for the day. I couldn't help but lean toward my rebellious side, so yup, I just turned and ran (thank goodness I had my running shoes on!). I heard a yell and a car honk, but I dared not turn back. As I took the less exposed route through neighborhoods back to my flat, I couldn't help but let the wind blow in my hair and feel the satisfaction of rebelling against authority (sorry Mom and Dad!). Moral of the story: You CAN defraud the public transport in Budapest afterall! Oh, wait....I mean, ALWAYS be good and bring your metro pass. :-)

Proof that I actually live here...

2008-09-07T16:43:00.005+02:00

I have finally had the time to upload some photos! I have some from orientation, and a couple of my apartment, where I am currently sitting in my swimsuit (shut up, you would be too if you lived alone and you were as hot as I am now) sweating and attempting to lesson plan. We are on the last day of a heat wave in Budapest...today is about 94 degrees and humid. BLEH! Tomorrow is supposed to be rainy...hooray! I have loaded some more pictures onto Picasa. Here is the link...http://picasaweb.google.com/Hanna.Nichols. I have a slow connection at my apartment, so I will upload many more this week sometime when I can hit up a cafe with free wireless. But for now, enjoy this little taste of my experience! Tomorrow I will begin my official tour of Budapest...I like to call it "Hanna's Self-Guided Walking Tour of Budapest...scheduled on afternoons when she feels like it". Tomorrow I plan to hit up Hosok Tere (Hero's Square) and look like a tourist with my huge camera. By the way, I LOVE the fact that I am no longer labeled as a tourist here. I LOVE getting the satisfaction (at the expense of others) of seeing lost backpackers, trying to figure out the metro as I casually ask them if they need help and hop on my metro without having to look at a map. I do realize I WAS one of those people once too, but I put in my time, and I think I deserve a little enjoyment at watching sweaty, dirty college students who have spent weeks in crowded hostels and have no idea they are doing. Oh, one last thing...I get SO excited when I see someone has commented on my posts...so thanks to those who have, and for those who haven't, hint, hint!

"Peaches" Obama

2008-09-04T18:42:00.003+02:00

Here is a fun little story for you...the word "barack" means "peach" in Hungarian!! Amazing, right? They actually pronounce it differently (like "borotsk"), but it's spelled the same. My Hungarian teacher from orientation got very excited when the subject of politics came up and explained she liked to call him "Peaches" Obama. Apparently the Hungarian government is working to get the best peach jam from the countryside here in Hungary, and they are going to (or maybe already have at this point) send it to Mr. Barack Obama himself!

Budapest in all its glory...

2008-09-04T18:35:00.002+02:00

Here are just a few interesting/creepy things that I have witnessed while here in Budapest thus far...they all somehow make me love the country even more.... 1. Man drinking wine from a glass....on a bus...mid-afternoon...on a Wednesday. 2. Small "shelves" inside toilets...for inspection purposes possibly??? 3. Man on metro playing the harmonica with his nose. 4. Little children changing their pants in the middle of a crowded school hallway. 5. Fanny packs and mullets. Together. EVERYWHERE. Those are just a few for you all to munch on for now...I will update as I witness more of these timeless moments.

Hanna is in Hungary

2008-08-23T11:56:00.002+02:00

Well, I have arrived...safe and sound and in one piece. All of my luggage came, and even though I am so tired right now, I am in high spirits. It is really hot and humid, therefore my roommate and I bonded over sleeping in next to nothing last night to stay cool. The other teachers are SO awesome. Some of the returning teachers are here to help with orientation, and they already took us out last night. I was so exhausted, but I figured I should be social...so I went and had a great time at what I was told was a Jazz Festival. I was mostly hoping to get food, since I hadnt eaten in about 16 hours, but it turned out to basically be an outdoor dance club with a lot of beer. I guess I had to settle with a cold beer as my intake of carbs for yesterday. Oh, well! Orientation starts tonight with a fancy dinner, paid for by the program (sweet!), and then the rest starts tomorrow! For now, we are off to buy converters and adapters...peace!

Heading out...

2008-08-17T17:46:00.007+02:00

So, I have finally succumbed to the world of blogging. I was initially against the idea actually...I somehow got it in my head that a blog automatically meant having to spill every deep and meaningful thing about your life to the whole world via the internet. After looking at the blogs of my friends though, I realized it really can just be a place to share fun stories and update lots of people on life's adventures. Whew! I can handle that. I embark upon my adventure to Hungary in just a few short days. No, I haven't started packing...but it has crossed my mind. I feel like I am pretty prepared mentally- I think it's Hungary that will have to prepare itself for ME! There are some things I am feeling totally unprepared for, like where I will live, which I will be discovering upon my arrival to my "flat" after a week of orientation. The whole speaking Hungarian thing too, is something I just imagine as one of those things that falls under the "Ummm, we'll see!" category. There are a few things I DO feel prepared for...and if you know me, you will see that they are pretty vital to my survival in Budapest. After extensive internet searches I found that 1) Vegetarian restaurants and organic markets DO exist in meat-and-potatoes-ridden Budapest (don't worry, I'm not vegetarian...there must have been some glitches in my Transformation to Becoming a Hippie. I still shave my legs and brush my hair, too), 2) There are trails to play on and bikes to rent or buy cheaply in Budapest (yay!), and 3) Hungary has LOTS of wine. So THAT I am prepared for...no need to worry! I'm sure many of you have already noticed my witty little title for my blog. This has come as a result of both my dad's incessant jokes for the past few weeks, along with my hopeless dorkiness when it comes to anything of, or relating to history. Hannah has already experienced my hour long run-down of the Cold War...so yes, it gets me really excited. If you ever ask questions, prepare for the same hour-long rant! For now, it's time to go think about packing some more. Maybe if I think hard enough, full suitcases will just magically appear on the floor! Or maybe I can call up Hermoine and she can get me one of those bottomless purses she had in the last Harry Potter book...