Standing in the check-out line at our friendly neighborhood market.
"Should we wait it out for a short bit?" Manasi asked me.
"Nah, we'll be fine," I said.
We both gazed out the front windows onto the street. "But that huge umbrella just blew over," Manasi quivered.
"Eh, I'm sure it just fell or someone accidentally bumped into it," I suggested.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, it's only drizzling. Our hostel is just down the street," I reminded her.
5 minutes later, walking past the Posta.
"See," I said as Manasi ducked her head into the hood of her jacket, "this isn't bad."
1 minute later, approaching the intersection.
"Crap! These droplets instantly quadrupled in size!" I shouted.
"Ah!" Manasi screamed.
"Hurry! We have to make the crosswalk signal!" I blurted out frantically.
4 minutes later, on the home stretch to our hostel.
Manasi broke into a desperate jog, with her Rainbow flip-flops smacking against the flooded sidewalk and her shoulders hunched over and wobbling side-to-side in unusual movements. Her brown hoodie was pulled tight around her head. "I am never taking weather advice from you ever again!" she threatened.
1 minute later.
"Wait!" I begged. "I can't run and laugh this hard at the same time!"
"I am soaked!" she yelled through the downpour.
"It's only rain," I said. "We'll dry." The droplets fell into my gaping, laughing mouth.
3 minutes later, finally inside, walking up the stairwell.
"Whew," I exhaled. I shook the water out of my hair like a wet dog.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
good morning
Though the people may seem somber... Hungary is still chaotic in its own special way, kind of in the same way Rome, Italy is chaotic (or so I have been told... I will be able to tell you first-hand in July). The drivers are crazy, sometimes you can't be too sure if your mail will actually make it to your mailbox, who knows when there will be protestors on the steps of Parliament...
But Hungary is still lovely, of course.
For example, this morning was wonderful.
Manasi and I ate a small breakfast (granola and banana) over tiny cups of espresso at our favorite cafe. We sat at the window on high swivel stools and discussed long-distance relationships and the idea of "moving too fast" in a given relationship. This lasted about an hour and we strolled out into the warm mid-morning spring mist. We ventured down the street, to an open air market where we wandered up to a smiling woman selling her home-grown flowers. She was patient with us as we practiced our Hungarian with her, trying to decide which batch to buy. After much pointing, smelling, and petal-caressing, Manasi and I chose a tiny bouquet of bright yellow daffodils for 200 forint (about $1.20 USD). The woman wrapped a small sheet of butcher paper around the stems and we walked off with flowers in hand.
Right next to the open air market, we stopped in the bakery and each purchased two bread rolls for 20 forint a piece (about 10 cents a pop). Right next to the little bakery is a shop full of small, milky brown eggs, stacked high in their open crates. We got a carton of ten, and the lady let us pick out the eggs, 200 forint for the ten.
We walked back out into the neighborhood, and down the street to our favorite fruit and vegetable stand. I picked out two white potatoes for 65 forint (about 40 cents). The woman recognized Manasi and I, and she forced us to practice our Hungarian with her. She pointed to the price and held up her fingers in accordance with the numbers... "Hatvan ot..." And we repeated after her "Hatvan ot." (Hatvan = sixty, ot = five). I plan on using those potatoes to make my own Goulash soup! At least I will give it a try...
With bread, potatoes, eggs, and flowers in tow, we crossed the street towards the bank where Manasi withdrew some cash. On the way we got a little distracted at a small boutique with very cute and very affordable shoes.
Other Hungarians were about their day; the little fruit and vegetable stands were crowded with at least 3-4 constant customers weaving their way through the produce, others were grabbing the daily paper at the newsstands, some were sitting on benches smoking cigarettes and chatting, little kids were chasing pigeons, others walking their dogs...
After the bank we walked back across the street to the Posta where Manasi quickly sent off a goodluck postcard to a close friend back home who is about to take the MCAT.
It was lunctime when we got back to our hostel. I took my bread roll, toasted it, made two of the eggs over-medium, put a piece of cheese in between them, dashed some hot paprika sauce on top, and had myself a delicious egg sandwich.
But Hungary is still lovely, of course.
For example, this morning was wonderful.
Manasi and I ate a small breakfast (granola and banana) over tiny cups of espresso at our favorite cafe. We sat at the window on high swivel stools and discussed long-distance relationships and the idea of "moving too fast" in a given relationship. This lasted about an hour and we strolled out into the warm mid-morning spring mist. We ventured down the street, to an open air market where we wandered up to a smiling woman selling her home-grown flowers. She was patient with us as we practiced our Hungarian with her, trying to decide which batch to buy. After much pointing, smelling, and petal-caressing, Manasi and I chose a tiny bouquet of bright yellow daffodils for 200 forint (about $1.20 USD). The woman wrapped a small sheet of butcher paper around the stems and we walked off with flowers in hand.
Right next to the open air market, we stopped in the bakery and each purchased two bread rolls for 20 forint a piece (about 10 cents a pop). Right next to the little bakery is a shop full of small, milky brown eggs, stacked high in their open crates. We got a carton of ten, and the lady let us pick out the eggs, 200 forint for the ten.
We walked back out into the neighborhood, and down the street to our favorite fruit and vegetable stand. I picked out two white potatoes for 65 forint (about 40 cents). The woman recognized Manasi and I, and she forced us to practice our Hungarian with her. She pointed to the price and held up her fingers in accordance with the numbers... "Hatvan ot..." And we repeated after her "Hatvan ot." (Hatvan = sixty, ot = five). I plan on using those potatoes to make my own Goulash soup! At least I will give it a try...
With bread, potatoes, eggs, and flowers in tow, we crossed the street towards the bank where Manasi withdrew some cash. On the way we got a little distracted at a small boutique with very cute and very affordable shoes.
Other Hungarians were about their day; the little fruit and vegetable stands were crowded with at least 3-4 constant customers weaving their way through the produce, others were grabbing the daily paper at the newsstands, some were sitting on benches smoking cigarettes and chatting, little kids were chasing pigeons, others walking their dogs...
After the bank we walked back across the street to the Posta where Manasi quickly sent off a goodluck postcard to a close friend back home who is about to take the MCAT.
It was lunctime when we got back to our hostel. I took my bread roll, toasted it, made two of the eggs over-medium, put a piece of cheese in between them, dashed some hot paprika sauce on top, and had myself a delicious egg sandwich.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
Bohemia
Due to popular demand (I like to tell myself this) I must post a new blog. And, well, I did just travel to Prague for five days so I suppose I have a few things to report. It's overwhelming for me to think that I need to write a blog all about Prague... so I am going to do this bullet-point style like I have in previous posts.
-Praha (the Czech-way to say it) is quite fabulous. I can honestly say that the Old Town Square took my breath away. In order to get to Old Town Square, one must weave through a very narrow alley-way with the soft padding sounds of cobblestone below their feet and tall buildings towering over them. And then, unexpectedly, (like that scene in "The Land Before Time" where they are in the cave and all of a sudden are opened up to the vast valley of Paradise) you are peering out of the narrow street and into the wide-open, breath-taking sqaure of Old Town Prague. Before you is an enormous, intricate and gothic astronomical clock. To the right is a giant, castle-looking cathedral with pointy towers and crucifixes. In the middle is a huge sculpture, statue-thing that is green in color and has stairs around the bottom of it where people sit and enjoy the crowd. There are cafes, restuarants, and shops all in beautiful buildings. There is an excellent Salvador Dali exhibition (70 koruna for students which is less than $5USD for entrance fee). There are native Czechs singing and playing their instruments for smiles and money. It's magical, enchanting, phenomenal...
-Oh, and one more thing... in that little alley-way that leads to Old Town Sqaure... there is a Medieval Sex Toys Museum (which cost over $15USD for entrance fee, so, No-Thank-You). Plus the medieval sex toy on display in the lobby, and the post cards, looked a little masochistic. That was good enough for me.
-There is a large open street in the city center with lots of shopping, a McDonalds, and a tasty little trolly cafe in the middle of the street where I had an espresso almost everyday and their Honey Cake twice (exellent Graham-cracker crust with a soft, spongy middle).
-I went to the Municipal House where they had a photography exhibit for the month called the "Diversity of Planet Earth." There were striking images of natural landscapes, people, cultures, technology, insects...of everything, around the world, about the world, places nearly untouched by man (mind-blowing) and little explanations of the photos in Czech and English. There was a photograph of glaciers way down South around Antarctica. I really wanna see that for myself one day.
-"Get a Taste of Prague." I went to the Staropramen Brewery that was a ten-minute walk from my hostel. Their traditional brew was golden and smooth and crisp. Can't have just one!
-The view from Castle Hill encompasses all of Prague.
-And don't forget about Charles Bridge... Jew Town (as I like to call it), Puppet Shows, the Dancing Building, Bohemia Crystal, Langos, sausages, jazz clubs, live music and cobblestone everywhere...
-Oh! And one last thing. The Czech take their dogs EVERYWHERE! Even on the subway.
-Praha (the Czech-way to say it) is quite fabulous. I can honestly say that the Old Town Square took my breath away. In order to get to Old Town Square, one must weave through a very narrow alley-way with the soft padding sounds of cobblestone below their feet and tall buildings towering over them. And then, unexpectedly, (like that scene in "The Land Before Time" where they are in the cave and all of a sudden are opened up to the vast valley of Paradise) you are peering out of the narrow street and into the wide-open, breath-taking sqaure of Old Town Prague. Before you is an enormous, intricate and gothic astronomical clock. To the right is a giant, castle-looking cathedral with pointy towers and crucifixes. In the middle is a huge sculpture, statue-thing that is green in color and has stairs around the bottom of it where people sit and enjoy the crowd. There are cafes, restuarants, and shops all in beautiful buildings. There is an excellent Salvador Dali exhibition (70 koruna for students which is less than $5USD for entrance fee). There are native Czechs singing and playing their instruments for smiles and money. It's magical, enchanting, phenomenal...
-Oh, and one more thing... in that little alley-way that leads to Old Town Sqaure... there is a Medieval Sex Toys Museum (which cost over $15USD for entrance fee, so, No-Thank-You). Plus the medieval sex toy on display in the lobby, and the post cards, looked a little masochistic. That was good enough for me.
-There is a large open street in the city center with lots of shopping, a McDonalds, and a tasty little trolly cafe in the middle of the street where I had an espresso almost everyday and their Honey Cake twice (exellent Graham-cracker crust with a soft, spongy middle).
-I went to the Municipal House where they had a photography exhibit for the month called the "Diversity of Planet Earth." There were striking images of natural landscapes, people, cultures, technology, insects...of everything, around the world, about the world, places nearly untouched by man (mind-blowing) and little explanations of the photos in Czech and English. There was a photograph of glaciers way down South around Antarctica. I really wanna see that for myself one day.
-"Get a Taste of Prague." I went to the Staropramen Brewery that was a ten-minute walk from my hostel. Their traditional brew was golden and smooth and crisp. Can't have just one!
-The view from Castle Hill encompasses all of Prague.
-And don't forget about Charles Bridge... Jew Town (as I like to call it), Puppet Shows, the Dancing Building, Bohemia Crystal, Langos, sausages, jazz clubs, live music and cobblestone everywhere...
-Oh! And one last thing. The Czech take their dogs EVERYWHERE! Even on the subway.
Friday, March 14, 2008
sunset
Clouds lining the sky outlined in bright magenta, highlighter pink... the colors blending into the cloud, and filling the gaps where the evening sky shown through. Vibrance.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
a warmer, sunnier day
-A rowdy Black Jack tournament just down my hall kept me up late last night. They were playing for... real money. So, I opted to sit that one out and be a spectator. Gambling isn't quite my thing. I never truly understood the concepts of probability in my Statistics class.
-Consequently I slept in this morning until 11am since I did not go to sleep until 3:30am.
-I ate breakfast, showered, then wrote out a few postcards.
-I walked through the neighborhood... the trees are blossoming!!!
-I stood in line at the Posta behind a petite, elderly woman with a fuzzy hat on. She looked over and started talking to me in Hungarian. I got a little flustered and finally managed to say, "nem magyarul bescelek (I don't speak Hungarian)." She shrugged her shoulders and turned back around.
-I went to the market and left with a bag full of tomato sauce, spaghetti noodles, Hungarian cabernet sauvignon, cheese and onion flavored chips, bread rolls, and cheese.
-I sat on a bench and people watched.
-I browsed a small stand set up on the sidewalk. There was jewelry, uniquely patterned bandanas, wooden spoons/bowls/cups, and shawls. Can you guess what I bought?
-I stopped at the home of the best-cappuccino-in-the-world and treated myself to such a delight while Manasi ate their finom (delicious) scrambled eggs with onion and ham washed down with a Pepsi.
-I pet a little Shi-tzu that was trotting around inside of the tiny restaurant.
-I came back to my hostel, checked my email for information on next semester's registration (I know, already...). I want to take Poetry Writing, Technical Writing, Intermediate Spanish Grammar, and Spanish Phonetics. I need to write my advisor by Friday.
-I am about to make myself dinner... a cheese, garlic, tomato, and paprika sandwich toasted on a fresh bread roll.
-And then I have Hungarian Language homework.
p.s. I have to go back to Immigration tomorrow (the 4th time... sheesh!) because they spelled my last name wrong on my resident's visa: Villock. Yeah, oops. The sticker, however, is quite a nice little addition to my passport. :)
-Consequently I slept in this morning until 11am since I did not go to sleep until 3:30am.
-I ate breakfast, showered, then wrote out a few postcards.
-I walked through the neighborhood... the trees are blossoming!!!
-I stood in line at the Posta behind a petite, elderly woman with a fuzzy hat on. She looked over and started talking to me in Hungarian. I got a little flustered and finally managed to say, "nem magyarul bescelek (I don't speak Hungarian)." She shrugged her shoulders and turned back around.
-I went to the market and left with a bag full of tomato sauce, spaghetti noodles, Hungarian cabernet sauvignon, cheese and onion flavored chips, bread rolls, and cheese.
-I sat on a bench and people watched.
-I browsed a small stand set up on the sidewalk. There was jewelry, uniquely patterned bandanas, wooden spoons/bowls/cups, and shawls. Can you guess what I bought?
-I stopped at the home of the best-cappuccino-in-the-world and treated myself to such a delight while Manasi ate their finom (delicious) scrambled eggs with onion and ham washed down with a Pepsi.
-I pet a little Shi-tzu that was trotting around inside of the tiny restaurant.
-I came back to my hostel, checked my email for information on next semester's registration (I know, already...). I want to take Poetry Writing, Technical Writing, Intermediate Spanish Grammar, and Spanish Phonetics. I need to write my advisor by Friday.
-I am about to make myself dinner... a cheese, garlic, tomato, and paprika sandwich toasted on a fresh bread roll.
-And then I have Hungarian Language homework.
p.s. I have to go back to Immigration tomorrow (the 4th time... sheesh!) because they spelled my last name wrong on my resident's visa: Villock. Yeah, oops. The sticker, however, is quite a nice little addition to my passport. :)
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Szia!
Latest fashion trend in Hungary: (Women) Purple, magenta, pink, cherry cola, plum, or violet hair. And I am talking women of all ages. Pink highlights in your 50s is the new gray! (Men) Incredible unibrows or long, curled nose-hairs that twitch when you breathe.
No private space: Hungarians stand directly behind you in line (at the store, bank, posta, market...) and nearly rest their chins on your shoulder to keep an eye on every move you make.
Trust issues: According to my politics professor who is Hungarian himself, Hungarians do not trust the government or people who are a part of the government or a part of any sort of beaucratic institution. This is a serious sociological consequence from the communist rule unique to Hungary; other Earstern Bloc countries have not had and do not have this problem. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5358546.stm
Life Tastes Good: Coca Cola was not introduced to Hungary until the very late 80s, at the turn of the decade because communist rule did not want any Western influence in Hungary whatsoever. According to my dear Hungarian friend Agi, absolutely no one was allowed in or out of the country. Her Mom is very religious and was not allowed to practice or pray in any fashion. Religion was forbidden. "This was very, very terrible for my mother," she explained, "She's Catholic."
Vocabulary: Titkos ugynok - secret agent. Szeretlek - I love you. Semmi baj - It's all good.
Baby blues: Beautiful Hungarians... olive skin, electric blue eyes, and thick, ebony hair. They are mysterious, too. Absolutely no eye contact if you are passing them on the street, at the market, in the posta... No stranger-smiles. Men stare at the ground as they pass you.
The question: "So, why Hungary?" My response, "Uhhh... a gulyasleves (the goulash)?"
No private space: Hungarians stand directly behind you in line (at the store, bank, posta, market...) and nearly rest their chins on your shoulder to keep an eye on every move you make.
Trust issues: According to my politics professor who is Hungarian himself, Hungarians do not trust the government or people who are a part of the government or a part of any sort of beaucratic institution. This is a serious sociological consequence from the communist rule unique to Hungary; other Earstern Bloc countries have not had and do not have this problem. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5358546.stm
Life Tastes Good: Coca Cola was not introduced to Hungary until the very late 80s, at the turn of the decade because communist rule did not want any Western influence in Hungary whatsoever. According to my dear Hungarian friend Agi, absolutely no one was allowed in or out of the country. Her Mom is very religious and was not allowed to practice or pray in any fashion. Religion was forbidden. "This was very, very terrible for my mother," she explained, "She's Catholic."
Vocabulary: Titkos ugynok - secret agent. Szeretlek - I love you. Semmi baj - It's all good.
Baby blues: Beautiful Hungarians... olive skin, electric blue eyes, and thick, ebony hair. They are mysterious, too. Absolutely no eye contact if you are passing them on the street, at the market, in the posta... No stranger-smiles. Men stare at the ground as they pass you.
The question: "So, why Hungary?" My response, "Uhhh... a gulyasleves (the goulash)?"
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