So, before I launch into what promises to be a fascinating account of how I went from having four hours of sleep tobeing quite, quite awake atHungary, I will begin with a quick summary/description/random thought gathering of activities.
Monday morning we woke up and had our first official orientation meeting with Michael Page. Fairly painless, except for the fact that we had to get up relatively early. Afterwards, we headed as a giant group out to the big market across the Freedom Bridge.
The following is something that I wrote in my journal to describe the market, possibly embellished and edited for your reading pleasure:
In the market, reached via a tram ride across Freedom Bridge, swarms of people and their scents, fruits and vegetables and their scents and colors all blend together. Produce stands and meat vendors stretch out before you and your eyes and body follow them around corners. The fresh produce is lovely, colors divided into overflowing bunches, apples spilling into carrots tumbling into potatoes. Birds swoop down through the aisles and around your head and you feel for an instant as if you are outside, standing in a field and watching a harvest as opposed to shopping for groceries in the middle of the city. The names of the vegetables are long and convoluted, spilling down and across wooden signs in black paint.
I buy some vegatbles after glacing around to compare prices, a bunch of carrots, heads of garlic, a bag of ripening tomatoes. I eat fresh rasperries. We head up to the food court for lunch and elbow our way through crowds of hungry Hungarians (*grimace*) and tourists of all nationalities all trying to eat. In the restaurant, live music plays and people chatter, eating their rice or vegetables or thick and hearty Hungarian gulyas (goulash soup). With no central air, the atmosphere is hot and beads of sweat sparkle on the foreheads of the diners. I leave the market, groceries in my now much loved Global-infusions-world's-most-perfect bag and with my friends return on the tram to unpack what we bought.
Later that afternoon, I and a group of others went to visit Kockacukor, a coffee shop just down the street from the dorm. The name of the shop means "sugarcube" in Hungarian, and it is a cosy place to meet friends or read a book. The barista today is a Hungarian woman of about 30 who speaks limited English but makes wonderful mochas and sells delicious cherry poppyseed pastries. Tanya ordered what had to be the world's most spectacular lemonade, a huge concotion of fresh squeezed lemons replete with orange slices soaking in the glass. We passed the time sipping at our drinks, discussing little of great import but enjoying each other's company.
For dinner, Tanya and I ate museli, an odd combination of grains and, in this case, dried cherries and cocoa cereal.
So that was Monday. Now on to why I was so awake when I started writing this blog post.
Tuesday morning we woke up and, after much early morning confusion over official documents, we headed to BME to get officially registered and issued student IDs. And so began the first of what promises to be several tedious and intricate dances with Hungarian bureaucracy, horrid dances composed of signatures, passports, and a seemingly endless amount of blue official stamps with raised lettering. However, our absolutely wonderful administrative woman at the college led us through it mostly pain free. We handed off our documents for copying and entering into the computer database, then left to explore the city until 4:30. After a quick meal for which I ate a slice of tomato and cheese pizza at one of the many fast food places in Moriscz Szigmond Korter, a main square that we often stop at to change trams or to walk somewhere, we hopped the number 18 tramline out to Auchan, a Target-esque supermarket in the middle of Savoya Park. In Auchan, shoppers weave their way in and out of each other, muttering "Buchonat" (Excuse me/Sorry) whenever they bump into each other. Shopping in a setting in which you cannot read any of the signs is quite an experience, one that led to lots of wandering. However, I did manage to find...BAGELS. For only 25 forints a piece, roughly 12 and a half U.S. cents. Bought a bunch of those and a couple of other miscellaneous items of interest. While in line, a old, cute Hungarian woman attempted to explain in Hungarian how to use the stick for separating groceries and also laughed at us when we couldn't understand the cashier's questions regarding a price check on a pair of scissors. Definitely not in the U.S.
As a group, we all had to make the trek back to BME to pick up our student IDs, only to discover that due to a computer glitch, we would have to come back the next day (the day I am writing this post) to pick up all of the other documents. I would write more about this, but to be true to reality I would have to write about it in as boring a manner as it actually was experienced, and I'd like some people to actually read my blog in the future. :)
A small group of us decided to shake off the stress of registering and wandered through the streets of Budapest. We discovered a lovely park with turtles and statues and plants and trees and people sleeping in the grass that might become a good place to study until it gets too cold. Also, we came upon a Tea Haz (Tea House) and stopped in. The place is completely wonderful. There's a loft that I think is combination tea-drinking/making-out couples spot, but as there was only one couple up there, we sat up there as well. The lighting is dim and the room is full of dark wood surfaces and the scent of tea. Kyle and I ordered a chocolate baklava and a pot of cocoa tea to split, both of which were quite good and gave me a bit of a caffiene buzz. (Note: This is the first part of my late night energy).
After the Tea Haz, we got falafel/gyros at a place in Moriscz Szigmund. Budapest has a ton of little Meditteranean fast food joints, which was quite a nice surprise given that a lot of Hungarian cuisine seems to be centered around meat, fat, and salt, none of which I particularly enjoy. Then once we got back, some of us decided to go out for drinks at the bar/cafe across the street. Actually, it was my second time there that day, as I had gone with Tanya and Kyle earlier just to check it out and gotten some ice cream. We majorly overtipped the waiter and he looked happy to see us back for more. (Wow, all of my experiences are already blending together! I hope you aren't finding this post completely bewildering; I promise to try and keep up better in the future) So anyways, at the bar I ordered a macchiato. Yum. Expresso. At 8:30 at night. Following about three cups of tea. I think you can do the math.
So anyways. I was up quite late that evening. Went for a late night walk around the dorm area and went to bed after 2, after lying awake for quite awhile unbelieavably hyper.
Anyways, I think I'll add more about today (Wednesday) later on. I need a blogging break.
Oh, before I forget. HUNGARY HAS HEDGEHOGS!!!! That's right. Hedgehogs. There is at least on in the front lawn of the dormitory and I love it more than anything in the world. Ever.
-Abby-
Hedgehogs!!! That's amazing.
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