an update after too long!

Yesterday was an extremely busy day. In fact, the last three days have been extremely busy as well. We have successfully moved into the apartment and there are 4 of us total: Andrea (Romania), Silke (Germany), Silvia (Italy) and me. It’s a good time, but there are a lot of things that still haven’t been decided and it’s hard with language barriers. Yes, we all speak English, but there are a couple girls whose English are not that great, so it’s hard to discuss things like groceries and cleaning. It’s going to be a slow meeting, but as long as everyone understands, great. Personally, I’m not sure what to expect. I have my worries and doubts, sure, but it could also be extremely cool.

I am growing frustrated with the Visa situation. We now have 4 days to get our Visas or there will be consequences. I don’t think anyone foresaw all of this going down the way it’s going, but waiting so long to begin the process has also been an issue. Matt (the other American volunteer in Budapest) and I went with a couple guys from Ukraine to the Office of Immigration. It was a lot of standing and waiting, then sitting and waiting, then playing hacky-sack outside and waiting… then walking to and from a Posta (post office), then sitting some more and waiting, then finally talking to someone and walking away without a Visa and without really having a clue of what happened in the last 6 hours… I still have no idea. I guess we’re going back on Tuesday and this time, Matt and I are bringing a deck of cards.

I am growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of internet here at the apartment because I really would just like to head out and see some of the city, but I don’t even know where to begin. I’d like to just go online and get into some indie travelers’ site and see what the top things to see are… and go! I asked my 6th graders what I should do and the first thing they said was the zoo. Now, I have no idea where the zoo is, otherwise it’d be a great idea. The next thing they said was Heroes Square – also a good idea, but I think we’re going there today as a group, so it’d be a silly idea to go there twice. I’d also like to go on a tour of Parliament, but again, I’d also like to know ahead of time how much it costs, when the tours are and if they have an English tour… I guess in due time, right? I have a year!

Another random thing about yesterday – Silvia and I were sitting in the apartment when we decided to find internet. We found a café, which also means “bar” in Hungarian (well, I’m assuming that because they served a whole lot of beer). In order to get internet access, you must buy a beer. Now, that’s rough living, folks. I think when I go to post this I will get a coffee, but yesterday evening, it was a good beer.  Anyway, we’re sitting there checking our emails and chillin’ when all of a sudden we hear people on the street. We rush to look out the door and there are these guys in suits dancing across the street in the pedestrian walkway. Then some girls, also in suits, start dancing on the other side and they cross in the middle. People clap and laugh and life seems to have gone on. Not the case whatsoever. It happens again when the streetlight changes! So… I have decided that on Fridays, in order to welcome the weekend, you must dance across the street. I like this country!

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This was the view from our bedroom window in Monoszló. It was a very simple, small-town view, but beautiful nonetheless.



I have decided that this is my dream gate. I have never EVER wanted a gate to my home (it just seems cold and uninviting), but in this culture, every home has one. So, if for some reason I NEED a gate, this is my dream gate. So cute!


Emilie and I took a walk one afternoon into the vineyards. These are the views we found :)