I am sad because I am only beginning to feel comfortable here. I am working on setting up a routine and trying desperately to become my own unique self here. However, we have yet to be legal (Matt and I keep getting denied our residential visas for various reasons) and Silke and I have yet to get a real job description. I think we’re getting closer, but it’s still frustrating.
On Tuesday, Jozsí, Zoltan, János, Matt and I (yeah, Trazy and the boys :P) went to Budafoki Utca, to the Office of Immigration to get our residential visas. Zoltan and János are coming from Transcarpathia, Ukraine and it seems that attempt #2 was great for them. Within an hour, they were done and on their way… Residential visas in their hands. Matt and I were another story. After getting to the office, we got a number and then sat waiting for over an hour for our number to be called. We went and spoke to an agent and things seemed to be going well, until they asked for my insurance paperwork. Problem: I have no paperwork with my name AND my number on the same paper. Matt, luckily, had this paperwork, so it appeared that at least he would be successful. Not the case. Turns out, last time we were in the office, Jozsí had asked if we needed the original lease agreement with our flat owners. The agent we spoke to then said “No, a copy would work just fine.” Not the case. So, maybe someday soon we’ll go back for attempt #3...
Everyday that I’m not at Budafoki, I am at Vörösmarty Iskola with Silke, doing nothing. Let’s take today for example. Yesterday the English teachers told us to arrive at 9a and then they would figure out what we are doing. We arrived at 9a and then they asked us what we’d like to do. Uh… * insert grand pause * … Okay, great, let’s go to a 6th grade class. “Do you know what you’d like to do with them?” Uh… * insert grand pause * … Not really because we had no idea what we’d be doing today, so we didn’t really prepare. Plus, this is a new class for me, so I don’t know what they’re learning… but yeah, we’ll figure something out. “Do they know body parts?” “Yes.” “Fantasztikus, we’ll play body parts musical chairs to practice body parts.” Then when we were done, it was the same scenario. We got to go to a 5th grade class next and apparently we were supposed to teach them days of the week and months. I had no idea. Silke had no idea. Great. I’m glad I’m good with rolling with the punches! So, we tried to play some kind of lame game with months and days of the week. By lame, I mean, srsly lame and boring, even for me. And then at 11a, we were done. We needed to wait a few for lunch, so we wandered down to the calendar and notebook store, looked at planners (yes, Kevin, I actually thought about buying a planner!)… then decided I really need one that starts in 2009, not 2010, so I will wait and get a 2009 one at a dollar store when I’m home. We went back and got lunch (no soup today, but there were UNPICKLED beets! Yum!), then we went home. At this point, I feel very much un-needed and as though I’m not accomplishing anything whatsoever, except giving the teachers a break from teaching by providing a game every day. Hmmm…
I’m also worried about going home because it’s been stressful already because I keep getting asked to do things that I CANNOT do. I am in Hungary. I am not superwoman. I will not be available for things until Saturday because, well, I fly in on Thursday evening. Due to jetlag and the fact that by then, my body and my brain will hurt, I’m not doing anything taxing. No planning. No trying to fix things. No stress. Then, on Friday, there are some things I need to do for me. Sleep in. Unpack/repack. Meet with my pastor and/or Jay, for instance. Buy brown or teal shoes for the wedding. Get some things I need, like shampoo/conditioner, stick deodorant, that 2009 planner, etc. See my family so that I can just… be with them. See my extended family. Apparently in there, I’m supposed to decorate (this has been moved from early Saturday morning to all day Friday). Not a big deal, I agreed to do it, just wasn’t planning on two days. Friday evening is the rehearsal and dinner. Then the wedding is all day Saturday. I’d planned on this – it’s the main reason I’m home – don’t plan on seeing me that day unless we’re related or you’ve been invited. Sorry. Sunday… I don’t know what I’m going to say in church. I don’t know what I’m doing here yet, so besides language school, multiple trips to the Immigration Office, English games and random sightseeing trips, I’ve done nothing. I am excited to see my other family, just not excited to explain that I have no idea what I’m doing here. Sunday afternoon is lunch with my whole family. Not sure what that’s going to entail, but it will entail something. Then Sunday night is CHAOS (guest speaker at my own youth group – so weird!) and then hanging out with dear, dear friends. Jodi and I are debriefing on Monday morning (honestly, this is quite possibly the part I’m most excited about), then I’m sure there will be some good family time in there… Then I fly out again. I wish I could come home every six weeks, but you see the stress that this one trip is going to be? Ejha! Well, enough worrying about that. I’m going to work on putting together a minute-by-minute schedule – if you’d like to be in it, email me. Chances are that if I haven’t asked you, there isn’t much time left, but please, let me know if you’d like to meet. I have a few meals and coffee breaks available, and you’re always more than welcome to come to Home Acres at 9:30a and CHAOS at 7:17p on Sunday. And for now, I leave you with pictures and a story. :)
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During language school, we decided to take a trek up to the highest peak around Lake Balaton. Yeah, like do a little mountain hiking. It was a great time and an excellent way to spend an afternoon/evening.
These first two pictures are pictures of the actual peak. Just getting to this point was a great climb all, of course, uphill, but it was fairly smooth and enjoyable. We looked at this peak and just cringed, though.
We began our walk up the stairs. This is Silke, the German girl that I work with and room with following behind us. These steps were very steep, but little did we know that these were the easy ones!
This was taken from about half-way up. It was so beautiful and definitely worth the climb.
This is taken from the peak. The girl in the picture is Emilie, a Boston native and one of my roommates in Sarszentlörinc and Monoszló. The lake in the background is Lake Balaton, Hungary’s inland sea. It’s a very touristy part of Hungary and many foreigners vacation around the lake in the summer time.
This is a picture of the place where I took the first two pictures. Look at how high up we are!
And this is the language school crew, minus the two Hungarian speaking helpers. From left to right – top row: Evelyn (Germany), Emilie (USA-Boston), Simon (Germany), Kristy (Canada), Zsofi (Hungary-our teacher), Isabel (Germany), Silke (Germany), Jeff (USA-Holland, MI)… bottom row: me, Heidi (Denmark), Romain (France), Matt (USA-Cleveland), Timothée (France)… What a good looking group of people :)
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