i got hit with a pretty big rock today as I spent my remaining savings on some dental work.
I heard it said once that "We make plans and God laughs."
I made plans.
I made plans to go back to Saranac, spend time with family and friends, travel with my mom and just... take time be.
I made plans to return to Home Acres and Grand Rapids on August 1st. While working 25 hours each week, I would also be searching for another job.
I made plans to couchsurf my way through Grand Rapids because I'm going back extremely broke and won't be able to find housing right away, but thank goodness I have a job because I'll be able to use that money to find housing in September.
I made plans to start doing some "back to school" stuff with the kids, have leadership meetings, dig into what's been done this last year and learn from it while trying to maintain continuity.
I made plans to find a place with Ang starting the end of August and be roommates with her.
I made plans.
Today, if God is laughing, I'm not joining Him.
I need a job.
hey - I have a joke! Hey Michigan, anyone hiring?
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Matthew 20:28
... just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Máté 20,28
Valamint az embernek Fia nem azért jött, hogy néki szolgáljanak, hanem hogy õ szolgáljon, és adja az õ életét váltságul sokakért.
...
I have been spending a lot of time in quiet, meditating on Scripture in my spare time. Tomorrow begins another leg of my service here and I'm looking forward to it, but I'm going to miss these very special "God times."
I'm beginning to make preparations for where I'll be staying in August and I am pleased to announce that I'll be couchsurfing in my home city! So excited to meet other couchsurfers and get to know new people in this time of transition. I'm also excited to crash on some of my friends' couches or in their spare rooms. I could probably do this for two months, but I think I'll stick to just one and hope for permanent housing in the beginning of September.
I have a few prayer requests for you in these final weeks:
a) moments of joy with those I'll miss so much - Silke, Silvia, Matt, Timothee, Janos, Janos, Zoltan, Evelyn, Jozsi, Emese, Aaron, Njeri, Judit... and many more.
b) peace of mind about each item I pack, ease for the process, and the ability to part with things that don't need to be brought back
c) a smooth week of camp - that it is fruitful, fun and full of God's abounding love
d) a rockin' time with the group from Ohio
e) readiness - to go, to come, to serve, to hold on, to trust, to obey, and to be
Máté 20,28
Valamint az embernek Fia nem azért jött, hogy néki szolgáljanak, hanem hogy õ szolgáljon, és adja az õ életét váltságul sokakért.
...
I have been spending a lot of time in quiet, meditating on Scripture in my spare time. Tomorrow begins another leg of my service here and I'm looking forward to it, but I'm going to miss these very special "God times."
I'm beginning to make preparations for where I'll be staying in August and I am pleased to announce that I'll be couchsurfing in my home city! So excited to meet other couchsurfers and get to know new people in this time of transition. I'm also excited to crash on some of my friends' couches or in their spare rooms. I could probably do this for two months, but I think I'll stick to just one and hope for permanent housing in the beginning of September.
I have a few prayer requests for you in these final weeks:
a) moments of joy with those I'll miss so much - Silke, Silvia, Matt, Timothee, Janos, Janos, Zoltan, Evelyn, Jozsi, Emese, Aaron, Njeri, Judit... and many more.
b) peace of mind about each item I pack, ease for the process, and the ability to part with things that don't need to be brought back
c) a smooth week of camp - that it is fruitful, fun and full of God's abounding love
d) a rockin' time with the group from Ohio
e) readiness - to go, to come, to serve, to hold on, to trust, to obey, and to be
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Let's... do this.
Jeff and I lead the morning reflection today.
A brief look at the things going on in my mind without much explanation because I haven't been given much.
-
I have a heart for:
* teenagers/young people
* un mundo sin fronteras / egy határok nélküli világ / a world without borders
* providing a place for others
* loving those in poverty/homelessness
-
Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiás 29,11 - Mert én tudom az én gondolatimat, a melyeket én felõletek gondolok, azt mondja az Úr; békességnek és nem háborúságnak gondolata, hogy kivánatos véget adjak néktek.
-
Ephesians 2:10 - For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Efézusiakhoz 2,10 - Mert az Õ alkotása vagyunk, teremtetvén [Általa] a Krisztus Jézusban jó cselekedetekre, a melyeket elõre elkészített az Isten, hogy azokban járjunk.
-
Ecclesiastes 7:14 - When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future.
Prédikátor 7,14 - A jó szerencsének idején élj a jóval; a gonosz szerencsének idején pedig jusson eszedbe, hogy ezt is, épen úgy, mint azt, Isten szerzette, a végre, hogy az ember semmit [abból] eszébe ne vegyen, [a mi] reá következik.
-
What's next, God?
A brief look at the things going on in my mind without much explanation because I haven't been given much.
-
I have a heart for:
* teenagers/young people
* un mundo sin fronteras / egy határok nélküli világ / a world without borders
* providing a place for others
* loving those in poverty/homelessness
-
Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiás 29,11 - Mert én tudom az én gondolatimat, a melyeket én felõletek gondolok, azt mondja az Úr; békességnek és nem háborúságnak gondolata, hogy kivánatos véget adjak néktek.
-
Ephesians 2:10 - For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Efézusiakhoz 2,10 - Mert az Õ alkotása vagyunk, teremtetvén [Általa] a Krisztus Jézusban jó cselekedetekre, a melyeket elõre elkészített az Isten, hogy azokban járjunk.
-
Ecclesiastes 7:14 - When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future.
Prédikátor 7,14 - A jó szerencsének idején élj a jóval; a gonosz szerencsének idején pedig jusson eszedbe, hogy ezt is, épen úgy, mint azt, Isten szerzette, a végre, hogy az ember semmit [abból] eszébe ne vegyen, [a mi] reá következik.
-
What's next, God?
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Above All
When have I felt it was important for me to be here?
This was the opening question for our final seminar... and I had no answer, no story to tell at the time. I bided my time as much as I could until I was the last one to share a story. As Kristy urged me to share something, I shared the story of how Alen had been so interested in my work... and how the numbers of Hungarians NOT wanting to do volunteer work with gypsies had surprised me.
But, it stirred something in me. I can be so negative toward the year and can be rather quick to point out times when I was unhappy, or things that could/should/would have gone better, or even times when I disappointed even myself. But to take a moment and think of when it was important for me to be here... that's something I haven't done much of.
-English classes
Sadly, this was an endeavor that I only started to embark on later in the year. However, being one of the few native English volunteers hosted with ODE in Budapest, it wasn't just something that I felt I SHOULD do, it became the only thing that I wanted to do each week. I found myself looking forward to my lessons and the thought of ending them was something that came rather sadly to me.
-St. Columba's
I really wish that I could have given my heart and soul to this congregation as I have with my home congregation in Michigan. However, between travels and work and illness, my attendance to Sunday morning services has been sparse in the last couple months. Unfortunately, we were still unsuccessful in getting a youth group off the ground, but I did make some contacts with some teens and hopefully the few moments we spent together were still moments of great impact.
-office
Again, as one of the few native English speakers in Budapest, there was something that I was asked to do that was something that started as an "I SHOULD do" but became something I looked forward to doing. I had the unique honor of inviting all the incoming volunteers that aren't native Hungarian speakers to their placements for next year. I also got to help with some of the interviews and the processes involved in hosting and sending volunteers. It was a great chance to see the innerworkings of such an organization. It was also nice because what took me 5 minutes to write would have taken anyone else in the office 30 minutes (at least) because of the non-native translation struggle, so it helped in making me feel needed.
-flat
As much as I don't ever want to admit what I'm about to admit, I will. I enjoyed feeling needed in the flat. This was the first time Silke and Silvia had really LIVED away from home. This is the first time they were responsible for things like making sure that there's always some toilet paper or clean dishes. Also, they both had/have to take English exams before going to university and by practicing with me, they're going to totally ACE them :) w00t!
-letting go and holding on
It was important for me to be here, because it was important for me to learn how to do this. Life is a balance of doing both these things. However, even as I may have faltered in doing these things along the way, I also know that I matured in this matter.
-personal
It was important for me to grow in personal ways. For me to be here, I was further removed from people/lifestyle choices/surroundings that inhibited my previous opportunities for growth... and enabled through the circumstances of the year. This will probably even be revealed more as I get back to the states. I just pray that I don't easily fall away from the strength I've found in the last year.
-hospitality
I have discovered a new spiritual gift. As I actually said in the Tuesday morning chat which brought up the question, "I had a really hard time finding a place this year, so I set out to make sure that others could find a place." I LOVED opening my apartment, my life, my time, my expertise and anything else I could offer to those who were stopping in Budapest for a night or a week. Other volunteers or Couchsurfers or friends of friends... it didn't matter. The joy of re-experiencing Budapest through them renewed my love of the city each time. I don't think I could ever grow tired of washing sheets or making sack lunches for travelers and I have realized that this enjoyment can sooo be used to further the Kingdom.
-tea lady
Sometimes if things aren't currently affecting me, I tend to forget until someone brings them up. This was the case on Tuesday morning, until a fellow volunteer helped me to remember this moment in the year. I want to preface this with a statement: I am a coffee drinker, NOT a tea drinker. I never drank much tea before coming here. However, one cold winter day at the Tanoda, the boys asked me if I could make a tea. I start to go get one of the other teachers and realize quickly that it would be silly for me to do that when I could just make it myself. So Krisztian, one of the boys, follows me into the kitchen and tells me to boil water, take 2 tea bags, a LOT of sugar and a little lemon and put it into the pitcher. I do all this and make the tea. When it's finished, I bring it to the boys who exclaim with sincere smiles that it's the BEST TEA they've ever had and that from now on, I need to make the tea for the Tanoda. This is how I became known as the "Tea Lady."
-
I'm leaving one blank because you never know what might come up later as somewhere I found importance in retrospect... but I'm already amazed at how long the list is now. Looking back with a quick glance, I don't see these things at all. It was so good to reflect on them :)
This was the opening question for our final seminar... and I had no answer, no story to tell at the time. I bided my time as much as I could until I was the last one to share a story. As Kristy urged me to share something, I shared the story of how Alen had been so interested in my work... and how the numbers of Hungarians NOT wanting to do volunteer work with gypsies had surprised me.
But, it stirred something in me. I can be so negative toward the year and can be rather quick to point out times when I was unhappy, or things that could/should/would have gone better, or even times when I disappointed even myself. But to take a moment and think of when it was important for me to be here... that's something I haven't done much of.
-English classes
Sadly, this was an endeavor that I only started to embark on later in the year. However, being one of the few native English volunteers hosted with ODE in Budapest, it wasn't just something that I felt I SHOULD do, it became the only thing that I wanted to do each week. I found myself looking forward to my lessons and the thought of ending them was something that came rather sadly to me.
-St. Columba's
I really wish that I could have given my heart and soul to this congregation as I have with my home congregation in Michigan. However, between travels and work and illness, my attendance to Sunday morning services has been sparse in the last couple months. Unfortunately, we were still unsuccessful in getting a youth group off the ground, but I did make some contacts with some teens and hopefully the few moments we spent together were still moments of great impact.
-office
Again, as one of the few native English speakers in Budapest, there was something that I was asked to do that was something that started as an "I SHOULD do" but became something I looked forward to doing. I had the unique honor of inviting all the incoming volunteers that aren't native Hungarian speakers to their placements for next year. I also got to help with some of the interviews and the processes involved in hosting and sending volunteers. It was a great chance to see the innerworkings of such an organization. It was also nice because what took me 5 minutes to write would have taken anyone else in the office 30 minutes (at least) because of the non-native translation struggle, so it helped in making me feel needed.
-flat
As much as I don't ever want to admit what I'm about to admit, I will. I enjoyed feeling needed in the flat. This was the first time Silke and Silvia had really LIVED away from home. This is the first time they were responsible for things like making sure that there's always some toilet paper or clean dishes. Also, they both had/have to take English exams before going to university and by practicing with me, they're going to totally ACE them :) w00t!
-letting go and holding on
It was important for me to be here, because it was important for me to learn how to do this. Life is a balance of doing both these things. However, even as I may have faltered in doing these things along the way, I also know that I matured in this matter.
-personal
It was important for me to grow in personal ways. For me to be here, I was further removed from people/lifestyle choices/surroundings that inhibited my previous opportunities for growth... and enabled through the circumstances of the year. This will probably even be revealed more as I get back to the states. I just pray that I don't easily fall away from the strength I've found in the last year.
-hospitality
I have discovered a new spiritual gift. As I actually said in the Tuesday morning chat which brought up the question, "I had a really hard time finding a place this year, so I set out to make sure that others could find a place." I LOVED opening my apartment, my life, my time, my expertise and anything else I could offer to those who were stopping in Budapest for a night or a week. Other volunteers or Couchsurfers or friends of friends... it didn't matter. The joy of re-experiencing Budapest through them renewed my love of the city each time. I don't think I could ever grow tired of washing sheets or making sack lunches for travelers and I have realized that this enjoyment can sooo be used to further the Kingdom.
-tea lady
Sometimes if things aren't currently affecting me, I tend to forget until someone brings them up. This was the case on Tuesday morning, until a fellow volunteer helped me to remember this moment in the year. I want to preface this with a statement: I am a coffee drinker, NOT a tea drinker. I never drank much tea before coming here. However, one cold winter day at the Tanoda, the boys asked me if I could make a tea. I start to go get one of the other teachers and realize quickly that it would be silly for me to do that when I could just make it myself. So Krisztian, one of the boys, follows me into the kitchen and tells me to boil water, take 2 tea bags, a LOT of sugar and a little lemon and put it into the pitcher. I do all this and make the tea. When it's finished, I bring it to the boys who exclaim with sincere smiles that it's the BEST TEA they've ever had and that from now on, I need to make the tea for the Tanoda. This is how I became known as the "Tea Lady."
-
I'm leaving one blank because you never know what might come up later as somewhere I found importance in retrospect... but I'm already amazed at how long the list is now. Looking back with a quick glance, I don't see these things at all. It was so good to reflect on them :)
Monday, June 21, 2010
Also, another note:
You have until Thursday (June 24) to send anything else that you want to send.
Please don't send any mail after this date - keep it until you see me again.
You have until Thursday (June 24) to send anything else that you want to send.
Please don't send any mail after this date - keep it until you see me again.
Packing
I don't know how many of you remember the last month before I left for Hungary, but in case you missed it, it was filled with things like:
Goodwill trips, Freecycle giveaways, Craigslist sales, trips of stuff to my parents' house, and the slow process of weeding out stuff that I needed and stuff I didn't need... and packing into boxes for storage and suitcases for the year.
Well, friends, I am happy to announce that the process has begun again.
This last week, I set my boots outside, office supplies and some other random things down by the trash cans. Basically, it's acceptable here to put things you don't want by the trash. Anyone in the building picks through it (Kristy and I even went dumpster diving when someone was getting rid of a bunch of vintage clothing in May!). Then, when the trash is pulled out to the street, it's pulled too and the night routes (homeless or really poor people) pick through it before the trucks dispose of it. There aren't any Goodwills here and I just haven't the time and energy to go to the shelters and explain that there are some donations. It's easier to just put it out and let someone pick it up.
Also, I set down there a bunch of money that I've picked up throughout the year. Polish zlotys and British pounds (idk how I got these actually) that don't add up to any grand amount, but the change places don't accept coins... so, what am I going to do with them. With any luck, by the time I would ever go back to those places, they will be on the Euro or, to be honest, I probably won't go back to Poland... and it's silly to transport money. So, maybe somebody in the building is going to one of these places and could use it. Both of my roommates even got 10 Euro cents because Germany and Italy are both on the Euro (€).
I have also started packing. My GIANT suitcase is almost full. Throw in a few more clothes and it'll be ready to weigh. I'm hoping that the group from Ohio is bringing some suitcases that they won't want to take back and I'll be able to gank one of them to get the rest of my stuff home. I'm still faced with the issue about the saxophone, but I decided that I'm just going to wait and see.
What does this mean? Well it means that I'm starting to also pack myself. Starting to figure out my life when I get back (where to live, where to work, school?, other commitments?). Starting to think about presentations at churches. Starting to figure out where the next path leads. Slowly but surely, I'm starting to transition back to my home. Not transitioning back to my "old life" because that would defeat the purpose of the entire year, but back to a place that will always be HOME home. Plus, so much has changed, I don't think life CAN go back to the way it was.
Anyway, in the midst of all this, I'm realizing that I still have a month HERE. I am still expected to work and there's the group from Ohio and the day camp at the church. It's been a little crazy planning these things, so it'll be nice once they start... but I also know that once the day camp starts, I will have NO time to myself. NONE. But I'm totally looking forward to it :)
PS - Seminar/retreat until the 27th (I'll be back on Sunday afternoon)
Goodwill trips, Freecycle giveaways, Craigslist sales, trips of stuff to my parents' house, and the slow process of weeding out stuff that I needed and stuff I didn't need... and packing into boxes for storage and suitcases for the year.
Well, friends, I am happy to announce that the process has begun again.
This last week, I set my boots outside, office supplies and some other random things down by the trash cans. Basically, it's acceptable here to put things you don't want by the trash. Anyone in the building picks through it (Kristy and I even went dumpster diving when someone was getting rid of a bunch of vintage clothing in May!). Then, when the trash is pulled out to the street, it's pulled too and the night routes (homeless or really poor people) pick through it before the trucks dispose of it. There aren't any Goodwills here and I just haven't the time and energy to go to the shelters and explain that there are some donations. It's easier to just put it out and let someone pick it up.
Also, I set down there a bunch of money that I've picked up throughout the year. Polish zlotys and British pounds (idk how I got these actually) that don't add up to any grand amount, but the change places don't accept coins... so, what am I going to do with them. With any luck, by the time I would ever go back to those places, they will be on the Euro or, to be honest, I probably won't go back to Poland... and it's silly to transport money. So, maybe somebody in the building is going to one of these places and could use it. Both of my roommates even got 10 Euro cents because Germany and Italy are both on the Euro (€).
I have also started packing. My GIANT suitcase is almost full. Throw in a few more clothes and it'll be ready to weigh. I'm hoping that the group from Ohio is bringing some suitcases that they won't want to take back and I'll be able to gank one of them to get the rest of my stuff home. I'm still faced with the issue about the saxophone, but I decided that I'm just going to wait and see.
What does this mean? Well it means that I'm starting to also pack myself. Starting to figure out my life when I get back (where to live, where to work, school?, other commitments?). Starting to think about presentations at churches. Starting to figure out where the next path leads. Slowly but surely, I'm starting to transition back to my home. Not transitioning back to my "old life" because that would defeat the purpose of the entire year, but back to a place that will always be HOME home. Plus, so much has changed, I don't think life CAN go back to the way it was.
Anyway, in the midst of all this, I'm realizing that I still have a month HERE. I am still expected to work and there's the group from Ohio and the day camp at the church. It's been a little crazy planning these things, so it'll be nice once they start... but I also know that once the day camp starts, I will have NO time to myself. NONE. But I'm totally looking forward to it :)
PS - Seminar/retreat until the 27th (I'll be back on Sunday afternoon)
Saturday, June 19, 2010
János 1,14
És az Íge testté lett és lakozék mi közöttünk (és láttuk az õ dicsõségét, mint az Atya egyszülöttjének dicsõségét), a ki teljes vala kegyelemmel és igazsággal.
John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
The WORD became FLESH -
I've been working my way through the Bible chapter by chapter. I'll be honest, I haven't gotten as far as I'd like for 2 reasons. One is that sometimes I'm lazy. The second is that sometimes it takes 2 or 3 readings to really grasp what the chapter is trying to tell me. Even with a devotional Bible, it's hard to discern what God is teaching me through His words. What would it mean if each of those verses became flesh - became REAL, tangible things. I can look in a store once to know what I can buy and can't buy (even now in Hungary) because I can see, touch and smell what they are. If I could see, touch, smell, taste or hear the words of Bible, how much more could I learn from it! But it DID become flesh. it DID and it became something i can grasp. it DID and now my job is to carry out that flesh to those who cannot grasp it.
We have see His GLORY, the glory of the ONE and ONLY -
IT happened. the moment I've been waiting for... the discussion in Hungarian about why I believe God exists. First question "Where is God?" There are so many textbook answers to that, it was easy to throw one out there. "God is not in Africa. He has forgotten them." I think my missionary friends in Zambia or Sudan can attest otherwise, but I heard him out. Explaining the problem that "God's heart is in Africa, but OUR hearts are not" was a little more difficult, but I think I got it. This young boy (17 years old) hasn't been to Africa and he has been taught not to care about others above himself - the ways the world has taught him. Trying to explain in my less-than-fluent Hungarian was a struggle, and I'm not sure I made much of an impression on my own beliefs. I believe that some of God's most amazing glory can be seen in some of the financially impoverished places. I have seen those with nothing raise their hands in worship. I have seen those without homes cry while receiving the elements of the Lord's Supper. I have seen the beaten and abused, persecuted, disabled, and weary teach others about the joy they hold in their hearts.
full of GRACE and TRUTH -
grace is a funny thing because it's something that doesn't exactly come naturally to humans. To freely give favor and love upon someone is extremely hard in this world. I used to think I had it down. Love everyone. Yet here, in some of my darkest struggles, I find myself unable to give love to some. If they're not going to receive it the way I think it should be received, then why bother? (Anyone else hear that alarm sounding?) NO. That's not grace. And truth - it's not so funny because we often shy away from it. I have found myself taking the "easy way out" in many instances when it was harder to express what I thought was truth. If I was the only one who believed a certain thing, shut up and tolerate. If the conversation was in Hungarian and I didn't really know how to express myself, agree and move on. (these silly alarms are driving me nuts!) NO. I kick myself again and again because they're things I notice so often in hindsight and yet, they repetually come up.
Lord, let me grasp Your words, Your flesh so that in the next instance, I can be a beacon of Your Glory and display Your grace and Your truth. Amen.
John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
The WORD became FLESH -
I've been working my way through the Bible chapter by chapter. I'll be honest, I haven't gotten as far as I'd like for 2 reasons. One is that sometimes I'm lazy. The second is that sometimes it takes 2 or 3 readings to really grasp what the chapter is trying to tell me. Even with a devotional Bible, it's hard to discern what God is teaching me through His words. What would it mean if each of those verses became flesh - became REAL, tangible things. I can look in a store once to know what I can buy and can't buy (even now in Hungary) because I can see, touch and smell what they are. If I could see, touch, smell, taste or hear the words of Bible, how much more could I learn from it! But it DID become flesh. it DID and it became something i can grasp. it DID and now my job is to carry out that flesh to those who cannot grasp it.
We have see His GLORY, the glory of the ONE and ONLY -
IT happened. the moment I've been waiting for... the discussion in Hungarian about why I believe God exists. First question "Where is God?" There are so many textbook answers to that, it was easy to throw one out there. "God is not in Africa. He has forgotten them." I think my missionary friends in Zambia or Sudan can attest otherwise, but I heard him out. Explaining the problem that "God's heart is in Africa, but OUR hearts are not" was a little more difficult, but I think I got it. This young boy (17 years old) hasn't been to Africa and he has been taught not to care about others above himself - the ways the world has taught him. Trying to explain in my less-than-fluent Hungarian was a struggle, and I'm not sure I made much of an impression on my own beliefs. I believe that some of God's most amazing glory can be seen in some of the financially impoverished places. I have seen those with nothing raise their hands in worship. I have seen those without homes cry while receiving the elements of the Lord's Supper. I have seen the beaten and abused, persecuted, disabled, and weary teach others about the joy they hold in their hearts.
full of GRACE and TRUTH -
grace is a funny thing because it's something that doesn't exactly come naturally to humans. To freely give favor and love upon someone is extremely hard in this world. I used to think I had it down. Love everyone. Yet here, in some of my darkest struggles, I find myself unable to give love to some. If they're not going to receive it the way I think it should be received, then why bother? (Anyone else hear that alarm sounding?) NO. That's not grace. And truth - it's not so funny because we often shy away from it. I have found myself taking the "easy way out" in many instances when it was harder to express what I thought was truth. If I was the only one who believed a certain thing, shut up and tolerate. If the conversation was in Hungarian and I didn't really know how to express myself, agree and move on. (these silly alarms are driving me nuts!) NO. I kick myself again and again because they're things I notice so often in hindsight and yet, they repetually come up.
Lord, let me grasp Your words, Your flesh so that in the next instance, I can be a beacon of Your Glory and display Your grace and Your truth. Amen.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Big Pictures
There are big things happening in Europe right now.
1) Flooding. It has rained a LOT in the last two months. The Danube has flooded out roads, entire islands, villamos (electric trams/above-ground subways) and even the metros. People have started sand bagging in NE Hungary. I saw yesterday the results of flooding and traintracks... and how the water just wiped away the built up part under the track, leaving a funny picture... picture the ground and then three feet above, picture the iron tracks and wood planks suspended until they can rest on the built up rocks again in a place the water DIDN'T wash it away. I had pictures... but they're on my computer and it's currently inaccessible. Not gone forever, just temporarily inaccessible.
2) VB - világbajnokság... aka the World Cup. I know that many of you Americans have no idea that this is even happening, so allow me to enlighten you for a few minutes. This is the biggest sports related event in the world (NOT the Superbowl or World Series or Indy 500 as we've come to believe in Smalltown, USA). It's even bigger than the Olympics (check out the viewer ratings 4 years ago!) The World Cup takes place every 4 years and this year, it's in South Africa. Here's what's funny: If you're a place of business with a television in Hungary, then you are playing every single game of the World Cup. There's even a giant screen set up in a park not far from my apartment!
Sadly, Hungary wasn't in the final 32 teams that are chosen to play, but you'd never know it by the number of people at each of these games. So far, I've had three memorable games.
--- #1 - USA vs. England - I watched this in a bedroom at camp with Gyuri, a "crazy gypsy man" as he calls himself. Watching it in Hungarian, in the dark, with a guy that kept jumping up to fix the antennae that were working just fine... only to constantly adjust to a terrible spot and then readjust to the exact place they were in the first time.
--- #2 - Germany vs. Australia - Memorable as I watched it with Simon, my German friend in a restaurant in Hungary.
--- #3 - USA vs. Slovenia - As I went back to Budapest for a few days, I got a phone call from Matt about meeting up. Apparently some major showdown was happening at 3p and I should be there. We decided to meet at our favorite American food joint: Burger King. Over a cheeseburger and iced coffee, we watched a silent tv play the game. I think about how sad Matt is at this moment (he's such a soccer fan, he has an official US jersey!) because he actually had the option of going to South Africa for his year... and the volunteers in South Africa have gone to/are going to at least one game. However, I know he thinks that watching it with his favorite person from Saranac, MI in his favorite Burger King in Hungary has got to be a close second, right?
Anyway - keep watching, kids!
Two of the following teams can advance and of course, the two with most points.
Right now it's:
Slovenia - 4
England - 2
USA - 2
Algeria - 1
USA will play Algeria on Wed., June 23. Don't miss it because I'm HOPING that USA will come back from today's sad performance and pull ahead of England.
For that to happen, the USA has to win. If they win, they're in no matter what. If they tie, as long as Englad ties or loses, they're fine. If they lose... well, we won't talk about that. k?
1) Flooding. It has rained a LOT in the last two months. The Danube has flooded out roads, entire islands, villamos (electric trams/above-ground subways) and even the metros. People have started sand bagging in NE Hungary. I saw yesterday the results of flooding and traintracks... and how the water just wiped away the built up part under the track, leaving a funny picture... picture the ground and then three feet above, picture the iron tracks and wood planks suspended until they can rest on the built up rocks again in a place the water DIDN'T wash it away. I had pictures... but they're on my computer and it's currently inaccessible. Not gone forever, just temporarily inaccessible.
2) VB - világbajnokság... aka the World Cup. I know that many of you Americans have no idea that this is even happening, so allow me to enlighten you for a few minutes. This is the biggest sports related event in the world (NOT the Superbowl or World Series or Indy 500 as we've come to believe in Smalltown, USA). It's even bigger than the Olympics (check out the viewer ratings 4 years ago!) The World Cup takes place every 4 years and this year, it's in South Africa. Here's what's funny: If you're a place of business with a television in Hungary, then you are playing every single game of the World Cup. There's even a giant screen set up in a park not far from my apartment!
Sadly, Hungary wasn't in the final 32 teams that are chosen to play, but you'd never know it by the number of people at each of these games. So far, I've had three memorable games.
--- #1 - USA vs. England - I watched this in a bedroom at camp with Gyuri, a "crazy gypsy man" as he calls himself. Watching it in Hungarian, in the dark, with a guy that kept jumping up to fix the antennae that were working just fine... only to constantly adjust to a terrible spot and then readjust to the exact place they were in the first time.
--- #2 - Germany vs. Australia - Memorable as I watched it with Simon, my German friend in a restaurant in Hungary.
--- #3 - USA vs. Slovenia - As I went back to Budapest for a few days, I got a phone call from Matt about meeting up. Apparently some major showdown was happening at 3p and I should be there. We decided to meet at our favorite American food joint: Burger King. Over a cheeseburger and iced coffee, we watched a silent tv play the game. I think about how sad Matt is at this moment (he's such a soccer fan, he has an official US jersey!) because he actually had the option of going to South Africa for his year... and the volunteers in South Africa have gone to/are going to at least one game. However, I know he thinks that watching it with his favorite person from Saranac, MI in his favorite Burger King in Hungary has got to be a close second, right?
Anyway - keep watching, kids!
Two of the following teams can advance and of course, the two with most points.
Right now it's:
Slovenia - 4
England - 2
USA - 2
Algeria - 1
USA will play Algeria on Wed., June 23. Don't miss it because I'm HOPING that USA will come back from today's sad performance and pull ahead of England.
For that to happen, the USA has to win. If they win, they're in no matter what. If they tie, as long as Englad ties or loses, they're fine. If they lose... well, we won't talk about that. k?
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Házamegyek Budapestre (I'm going home to Budapest)
After working hard, long days at the camp... and having some long, hot days of relaxation... I'm going back to Budapest, probably tonight.
I have a crap ton of laundry to do and I woke up to a bedroom filled with water after the night's storms.
Tomorrow, I have another adventure to Gönc, but that's a discussion for another day.
The camp is officially open with currently 11 kids here. On Sunday, 70 more will come (which is a roundabout figure, since we were told there'd be 30 in this group :P) There's still a lot of work that could/should be done, but no one seems really worried about it. Emilie, Livia and Simon are here now and I know that even if they're not excited about being here, they are hard workers.
And I'm looking forward to going back to Budapest for now.
*~*~*
Just a couple pictures for you today.
These are some signs around the Jewish Quarter. This first one says (allow me to translate) that this was the former gate to the ghetto, until the Soviets freed them on January 18, 1945.
"Whoever saves a life is considered as to have saved the entire world." - Talmud
This plaque is placed near a memorial for Carl Lutz, a Swiss man who saved thousands of Jews by getting them fake Swiss passports and paperwork.
I have a crap ton of laundry to do and I woke up to a bedroom filled with water after the night's storms.
Tomorrow, I have another adventure to Gönc, but that's a discussion for another day.
The camp is officially open with currently 11 kids here. On Sunday, 70 more will come (which is a roundabout figure, since we were told there'd be 30 in this group :P) There's still a lot of work that could/should be done, but no one seems really worried about it. Emilie, Livia and Simon are here now and I know that even if they're not excited about being here, they are hard workers.
And I'm looking forward to going back to Budapest for now.
*~*~*
Just a couple pictures for you today.
These are some signs around the Jewish Quarter. This first one says (allow me to translate) that this was the former gate to the ghetto, until the Soviets freed them on January 18, 1945.
"Whoever saves a life is considered as to have saved the entire world." - Talmud
This plaque is placed near a memorial for Carl Lutz, a Swiss man who saved thousands of Jews by getting them fake Swiss passports and paperwork.
Monday, June 14, 2010
A Community...
I've been doing a lot of thinking about what makes a community, where and how do we find community, how we maintain community, what happens when we're taken from our community and how communities respond to struggle.
It's a lot to handle, but especially here at the camp, I tend to work on things alone - not exactly community-driven, but sanity driven.
What makes a community? Sometimes a community is a geographical base. Balatonlelle, and all the people that don't want the camp here, is a community. Sometimes a community is likeminded people, brought together by a similar cause/goal/hobby/interest/etc. All of the volunteers with ÖDÉ have formed a community - a piece of my heart jumped today when I saw Simon walking down the path toward me because I hadn't seen him since March and we're part of the same community. A community can also be formed by circumstances. I hate to say this, but even in my short jail time, I witnessed community. I found myself bargaining with my bunkmate for some coffee if I promised to put a couple dollars in her account when I left. As crazy as it sounds, I bonded with a few people in there and was a little sad to leave, wondering what would be next for them.
Where and how do we find community? This isn't always as easy as it sounds. I may be a part of the Saranac community, but I never really feel like I fit in there. I may have several communities here in Hungary, but haven't exactly found many that I'll be sad to leave in a couple months. This takes planning. What do I like to do? How do I find a group with those same interests? Are there other volunteers here doing this for the same reason I'm doing this? That's probably why I've bonded with the other Americans so well - not only do we have the common language, but we also all seem to have a semi-common purpose, which is very different from those of the "fresh outta high school Europeans."
How do we maintain community? Sometimes you can leave your best friend and not speak for a few weeks... and pick up exactly where you left off. This is a manifestation of the incredible bond you've developed because you've WORKED for it. Community doesn't just happen - you need to get involved in other peoples' lives - because you're willing to make that step, others will also be willing to make that step. If someone asks me where I'm from, I have two choices "Amerika" or "Michigan, egy állam Amerikai" - if I go with my first option, it's easier, but unless they ask "Where in America?" I could be from Florida or Alaska and they wouldn't know the difference (or God forbid, Kentucky :P jk!) If I go with the second, it opens me up to a little more - first that I speak a little Hungarian, second that I'm aware that if I say "Michigan" they might not know where it is, much like if they said "Pécs" or "Debrecen", most of you get blank looks until they say "a city in Hungary."
Anyway, long story short, you have to make a choice to maintain community. You need to be more proactive than you expect others to be in order to show your openness.
What happens when we're taken from our community? I feel like this is the question most people can relate to - in the fact that we don't even realize the great communities we have until we're removed from them for some reason. Many of you may have even witnessed this in my year. If we don't build a community where we are, we know that we never have to worry about this... but for those of us who long for that sense of community, this is simply not possible. We need to mourn, but we also need to move on and seek to build new communities in each new path God puts us on.
How do communities respond to struggle? This one, as I've witnessed, varies by community and struggle. True communities come together and work through it as a team, knowing that in the end, everyone will benefit. Many communities, when faced with a particular struggle, will disband or divide themselves. I've never seen an instance where this has benefited everyone involved. If someone in your community is facing a rough season, you help them. Community in the best sense is like karma - give when others need and when you need, you'll get.
*~*~*
Memorial Garden at the Dohány St. Synagogue
Behind the largest synagogue in Europe is a memorial garden set aside for those who perished during the Holocaust. It is said that Hungarian Jews account 1 out of every 6 people murdered in Auschwitz and 1 out of 10 people to die during the Holocaust (about 600,000 Hungarian Jews were lost during this time).
This is a memorial to Raoul Wallenberg and other "Righteous Among the Nations," including Carl Lutz, Giorgio Perlasca, Angelo Rotto and others who used fake passports and paperwork to save tens of thousands of Hungarian Jews during World War II. They are memorialized by a fake grave. Wallenberg was arrested in 1945 and detained in the Soviet Union, where he later died, but details regarding his death (dates and cause) are still disputed today.
It is a Jewish tradition to place a stone on the grave of one who passed. Unfortunately, these are graves that will never be dug because they are bodies that were never recovered. Instead, stones are placed in these boxes to remember and carry on the tradition.
This is also a memorial and a beautiful colorful one. The snake you can see in the picture represents the Nazis and the consuming fire represents the Holocaust.
This is the entrance to the former Jewish Ghetto of World War 2. Conditions were terrible in the ghetto and many died. However, because no one was allowed in or out, they needed a place to bury those that passed. Here are 27 mass graves and it is estimated that a total of 3000 people are buried here, all of whom died in the ghetto within the 18 months of confinement. Those whose names were remembered had a gravestone placed and the death year is always the same: 1945.
This is the Memorial of the Hungarian Jewish Martyrs. Made by Imre Varga, it resembles a weeping willow whose leaves bear inscriptions with the names of victims.
"In memory of our mother and grandmother who perished in Auschwitz."
"So our children will never forget."
It's a lot to handle, but especially here at the camp, I tend to work on things alone - not exactly community-driven, but sanity driven.
What makes a community? Sometimes a community is a geographical base. Balatonlelle, and all the people that don't want the camp here, is a community. Sometimes a community is likeminded people, brought together by a similar cause/goal/hobby/interest/etc. All of the volunteers with ÖDÉ have formed a community - a piece of my heart jumped today when I saw Simon walking down the path toward me because I hadn't seen him since March and we're part of the same community. A community can also be formed by circumstances. I hate to say this, but even in my short jail time, I witnessed community. I found myself bargaining with my bunkmate for some coffee if I promised to put a couple dollars in her account when I left. As crazy as it sounds, I bonded with a few people in there and was a little sad to leave, wondering what would be next for them.
Where and how do we find community? This isn't always as easy as it sounds. I may be a part of the Saranac community, but I never really feel like I fit in there. I may have several communities here in Hungary, but haven't exactly found many that I'll be sad to leave in a couple months. This takes planning. What do I like to do? How do I find a group with those same interests? Are there other volunteers here doing this for the same reason I'm doing this? That's probably why I've bonded with the other Americans so well - not only do we have the common language, but we also all seem to have a semi-common purpose, which is very different from those of the "fresh outta high school Europeans."
How do we maintain community? Sometimes you can leave your best friend and not speak for a few weeks... and pick up exactly where you left off. This is a manifestation of the incredible bond you've developed because you've WORKED for it. Community doesn't just happen - you need to get involved in other peoples' lives - because you're willing to make that step, others will also be willing to make that step. If someone asks me where I'm from, I have two choices "Amerika" or "Michigan, egy állam Amerikai" - if I go with my first option, it's easier, but unless they ask "Where in America?" I could be from Florida or Alaska and they wouldn't know the difference (or God forbid, Kentucky :P jk!) If I go with the second, it opens me up to a little more - first that I speak a little Hungarian, second that I'm aware that if I say "Michigan" they might not know where it is, much like if they said "Pécs" or "Debrecen", most of you get blank looks until they say "a city in Hungary."
Anyway, long story short, you have to make a choice to maintain community. You need to be more proactive than you expect others to be in order to show your openness.
What happens when we're taken from our community? I feel like this is the question most people can relate to - in the fact that we don't even realize the great communities we have until we're removed from them for some reason. Many of you may have even witnessed this in my year. If we don't build a community where we are, we know that we never have to worry about this... but for those of us who long for that sense of community, this is simply not possible. We need to mourn, but we also need to move on and seek to build new communities in each new path God puts us on.
How do communities respond to struggle? This one, as I've witnessed, varies by community and struggle. True communities come together and work through it as a team, knowing that in the end, everyone will benefit. Many communities, when faced with a particular struggle, will disband or divide themselves. I've never seen an instance where this has benefited everyone involved. If someone in your community is facing a rough season, you help them. Community in the best sense is like karma - give when others need and when you need, you'll get.
*~*~*
Memorial Garden at the Dohány St. Synagogue
Behind the largest synagogue in Europe is a memorial garden set aside for those who perished during the Holocaust. It is said that Hungarian Jews account 1 out of every 6 people murdered in Auschwitz and 1 out of 10 people to die during the Holocaust (about 600,000 Hungarian Jews were lost during this time).
This is a memorial to Raoul Wallenberg and other "Righteous Among the Nations," including Carl Lutz, Giorgio Perlasca, Angelo Rotto and others who used fake passports and paperwork to save tens of thousands of Hungarian Jews during World War II. They are memorialized by a fake grave. Wallenberg was arrested in 1945 and detained in the Soviet Union, where he later died, but details regarding his death (dates and cause) are still disputed today.
It is a Jewish tradition to place a stone on the grave of one who passed. Unfortunately, these are graves that will never be dug because they are bodies that were never recovered. Instead, stones are placed in these boxes to remember and carry on the tradition.
This is also a memorial and a beautiful colorful one. The snake you can see in the picture represents the Nazis and the consuming fire represents the Holocaust.
This is the entrance to the former Jewish Ghetto of World War 2. Conditions were terrible in the ghetto and many died. However, because no one was allowed in or out, they needed a place to bury those that passed. Here are 27 mass graves and it is estimated that a total of 3000 people are buried here, all of whom died in the ghetto within the 18 months of confinement. Those whose names were remembered had a gravestone placed and the death year is always the same: 1945.
This is the Memorial of the Hungarian Jewish Martyrs. Made by Imre Varga, it resembles a weeping willow whose leaves bear inscriptions with the names of victims.
"In memory of our mother and grandmother who perished in Auschwitz."
"So our children will never forget."
Friday, June 11, 2010
counting down the days
One month from today, I will start my re-entry preparation posts. NO this doesn't mean I'm coming home in a month - it just means I'm going to start preparing you (and me) for my re-entry. You shouldn't be too surprised to hear that these have already been written and scheduled. I'm still me, eh? :P
I want to encourage you to do 2 things:
a) subscribe to my blog so that you get daily updates during that time period. this is VERY important for my friends, family and supporting churches. They may be some of the most informative and thought-provoking posts I've made. Each time *I* read them, i have to sit and meditate. It's for my preparation as well as yours. I promise that receiving me back home won't be as easy as everyone wants.
b) tell others that may not be reading this to subscribe. it's really easy - there's a box on the side where you put in your email address and it will automatically send you updates.
In other news, slightly related - I am loving this 2-3 hour "siesta time" after lunch! :)
Oh, AND the mandatory soccer breaks every day - yesterday it was for South Africa and Mexico... today we're going to watch USA vs. UK - weee!
*~*~*
A visit to The Dohány St. Synagogue - the world's second largest synagogue and the largest one in Europe. (the biggest one is in NYC and is only bigger in size, not capacity) aka - one of the biggest tourist traps in Budapest.
The outside. The cost: 2000ft (or $10) - includes the synagogue, memorial garden and museum. everything except the museum can be viewed (some sneakily) from the outside... oh well. it was something I wanted to do, so I grabbed a few couchsurfers and we headed out. We paid a few hundred more forint (400) for a tour, which was worth it because there's not much written in Hebrew, Hungarian OR English about the history of the synagogue. So, it's worth it in two ways - I learned... and now you will learn :) Aren't you lucky?!
The synagogue was built (a long time ago - can't remember the years) by Christians, so it doesn't look like most synagogues, but it was built with the original temple (the one Paul wrote about that was destroyed in 70AD) in mind. See the numbered pews? People could actually purchase a pew seat for themselves, or as gifts, or for their heirs.
The Torah scrolls are back there. They survived the war (when Nazis destroyed most other Torahs) because Catholic priests took them and buried them in a Catholic cemetary. After the war, they were returned when the restoring process began. This, of course, was all done anonymously and the synagogue remains forever grateful to those priests.
Also note the organ: because there is an organ, you can automatically assume it's not an Orthodox synagogue because they are strongly against anyone (Jewish or not) working on Sundays (including organ tuners and players). Even this branch of Judaism believes that Jews shouldn't work on Sundays, and so a gentile plays the organ for them every Sunday.
This prayer rug was in the museum and I found it really interesting. I don't think I'd like to pray on a rug with animals dying all around me.
in the next couple posts, I'll show you the memorial garden and some other sights around the Jewish Quarter...
I want to encourage you to do 2 things:
a) subscribe to my blog so that you get daily updates during that time period. this is VERY important for my friends, family and supporting churches. They may be some of the most informative and thought-provoking posts I've made. Each time *I* read them, i have to sit and meditate. It's for my preparation as well as yours. I promise that receiving me back home won't be as easy as everyone wants.
b) tell others that may not be reading this to subscribe. it's really easy - there's a box on the side where you put in your email address and it will automatically send you updates.
In other news, slightly related - I am loving this 2-3 hour "siesta time" after lunch! :)
Oh, AND the mandatory soccer breaks every day - yesterday it was for South Africa and Mexico... today we're going to watch USA vs. UK - weee!
*~*~*
A visit to The Dohány St. Synagogue - the world's second largest synagogue and the largest one in Europe. (the biggest one is in NYC and is only bigger in size, not capacity) aka - one of the biggest tourist traps in Budapest.
The outside. The cost: 2000ft (or $10) - includes the synagogue, memorial garden and museum. everything except the museum can be viewed (some sneakily) from the outside... oh well. it was something I wanted to do, so I grabbed a few couchsurfers and we headed out. We paid a few hundred more forint (400) for a tour, which was worth it because there's not much written in Hebrew, Hungarian OR English about the history of the synagogue. So, it's worth it in two ways - I learned... and now you will learn :) Aren't you lucky?!
The synagogue was built (a long time ago - can't remember the years) by Christians, so it doesn't look like most synagogues, but it was built with the original temple (the one Paul wrote about that was destroyed in 70AD) in mind. See the numbered pews? People could actually purchase a pew seat for themselves, or as gifts, or for their heirs.
The Torah scrolls are back there. They survived the war (when Nazis destroyed most other Torahs) because Catholic priests took them and buried them in a Catholic cemetary. After the war, they were returned when the restoring process began. This, of course, was all done anonymously and the synagogue remains forever grateful to those priests.
Also note the organ: because there is an organ, you can automatically assume it's not an Orthodox synagogue because they are strongly against anyone (Jewish or not) working on Sundays (including organ tuners and players). Even this branch of Judaism believes that Jews shouldn't work on Sundays, and so a gentile plays the organ for them every Sunday.
This prayer rug was in the museum and I found it really interesting. I don't think I'd like to pray on a rug with animals dying all around me.
in the next couple posts, I'll show you the memorial garden and some other sights around the Jewish Quarter...
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Sometimes we question our world... and get answers the next day
So, you know how I wrote about the feeling of not working?
Well, actually before I even posted it I got the answer. I just couldn't bring myself to delete the whole post.
Reason people didn't want to work? They weren't seeing any signs of getting paid.
In fact, as I sit here tonight, there are only 5 of us at the camp now. Me, Ricsi (volunteers)... Tibi (paid staff who HAS gotten his paycheck)... Mama, Gyürika (the 'grandma' and '8 year old grandson' team who are making sure they wish us a good night about 10 times. :P
the young people I was hoping to learn more from and hang out with? gone.
the 3 and 5 year old girls who didn't care whether I spoke Hungarian or gibberish, as long as I gave them hugs and let them sit by me at dinner, i was cool? gone.
apparently word got around that the Roma Self-Government wasn't going to pay them and they didn't want to work for free. So, the Roma Camp, in turn, told them that they couldn't just stay here for free... and so they left.
There are many things which transpired over the course of a couple hours that caused me to think:
a) why?! the camp needs to be fixed up and it cannot be done by Tibi completely. If Ricsi and I weren't here, what would happen? What is the Roma self-goverment thinking? If they really want a camp, this is NOT a good way to start.
b) I saw them pack up their stuff and one has to wonder what's next for them. You see, I brought three bags of stuff (plus a purse) for three weeks. I'm not sure how long they planned on staying, but the family packed up winter coats. Is this the only place they had for the time? Do they have no home, no job, NOTHING to go to? I was watching them pack up EVERYTHING they own and couldn't help but be sad that this was a really frustrating moment in their lives...
c) there's no way we're going to get all the work done now. Awesome. Oh well... Frustration, annoyance and apathy hit at about the same time, which was a very strange sensation.
*~*~*
Random pictures...
excuse me, sir. what IS this instrument? and is the face necessary to make it play?
just a random house in the Jewish Quarter that I think is cute
Hello, Budapest :)
technological injuries
I told you about my camera yesterday.
Today, I want to introduce you to my sad looking computer.
Let's start at the top. Yes, that's tape holding in the power cord. It's not duct tape, but if I were in the US, it would be. Not sure what happened except that one day I noticed it was plugged in and not registering a charge. hmmm...
I'm missing a control key. Also not sure what happened there. One day, while talking to my mom actually, I wanted to copy something and hit control and it came with my finger. Needless to say, I spent the rest of the phone call distracted and trying to put it back on. Sorry, mom!
then you see the bottom corner... My computer tried to commit suicide by jumping off the desk. Srsly. Maybe i pushed it, maybe not. The world will never know. :P
Well, actually before I even posted it I got the answer. I just couldn't bring myself to delete the whole post.
Reason people didn't want to work? They weren't seeing any signs of getting paid.
In fact, as I sit here tonight, there are only 5 of us at the camp now. Me, Ricsi (volunteers)... Tibi (paid staff who HAS gotten his paycheck)... Mama, Gyürika (the 'grandma' and '8 year old grandson' team who are making sure they wish us a good night about 10 times. :P
the young people I was hoping to learn more from and hang out with? gone.
the 3 and 5 year old girls who didn't care whether I spoke Hungarian or gibberish, as long as I gave them hugs and let them sit by me at dinner, i was cool? gone.
apparently word got around that the Roma Self-Government wasn't going to pay them and they didn't want to work for free. So, the Roma Camp, in turn, told them that they couldn't just stay here for free... and so they left.
There are many things which transpired over the course of a couple hours that caused me to think:
a) why?! the camp needs to be fixed up and it cannot be done by Tibi completely. If Ricsi and I weren't here, what would happen? What is the Roma self-goverment thinking? If they really want a camp, this is NOT a good way to start.
b) I saw them pack up their stuff and one has to wonder what's next for them. You see, I brought three bags of stuff (plus a purse) for three weeks. I'm not sure how long they planned on staying, but the family packed up winter coats. Is this the only place they had for the time? Do they have no home, no job, NOTHING to go to? I was watching them pack up EVERYTHING they own and couldn't help but be sad that this was a really frustrating moment in their lives...
c) there's no way we're going to get all the work done now. Awesome. Oh well... Frustration, annoyance and apathy hit at about the same time, which was a very strange sensation.
*~*~*
Random pictures...
excuse me, sir. what IS this instrument? and is the face necessary to make it play?
just a random house in the Jewish Quarter that I think is cute
Hello, Budapest :)
technological injuries
I told you about my camera yesterday.
Today, I want to introduce you to my sad looking computer.
Let's start at the top. Yes, that's tape holding in the power cord. It's not duct tape, but if I were in the US, it would be. Not sure what happened except that one day I noticed it was plugged in and not registering a charge. hmmm...
I'm missing a control key. Also not sure what happened there. One day, while talking to my mom actually, I wanted to copy something and hit control and it came with my finger. Needless to say, I spent the rest of the phone call distracted and trying to put it back on. Sorry, mom!
then you see the bottom corner... My computer tried to commit suicide by jumping off the desk. Srsly. Maybe i pushed it, maybe not. The world will never know. :P
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Balatonlellen vagyok.
So... i've found internet to steal from my cabin. Awesome! Not sure how reliable it is, but it's good for now. I have been here for two days now and while I see some progress, it's been interesting for me to be a part of this.
First of all, it's a family affair. I'm here with Emese's husband's ex-wife's mother (haha!), her other daughter and boyfriend and two little girls, a friend of Gyuri's and two ex-volunteer and one of their girlfriends. One guy lived in Canada for a few years, and his Canadian and my American are similar, so we're able to communicate :) (i joke, i joke!)
Anyway, this could be taken as a very racial thing, but I assure you that I mean nothing racial: i cannot get these guys to work. First, we took a break yesterday because the guys needed beer. Then after lunch, Gyuri called to tell us it was too hot to work (it's about 85* here). Then in the evening, it was still too hot to work and they're a little upset about a money situation.
Everyone else here is Roma. So, one of the things I'm faced with is the fact that Gadje (non-Roma) expect them to not want to work. So, if I am trying to get them to work, it MAY appear to them that I think less of them for not working (it may also appear to them that I'm just crazy and they'd be more correct... but not being able to completely communicate means my actions DO speak louder than my words). Last night a few of them stayed up a little late and it's now noon and I haven't seen three of them yet. Hmmm...
However, they also have the knowledge of the time frame we have - we have a week. With this many people, it's completely possible to have gotten everything done in 3 days (if anyone were in 'slave driver' mode). However, in this heat (which is really NOT that bad), they feel it necessary to take it easy for a few days. Oh well, the work WILL get done, because when we did work yesterday, we worked hard.
This has already been a great cultural experience. There are young people my age here, which is great - haven't met many Roma that are at the same "place" in their lives. They keep commenting on how great my Hungarian is after only 10 months (just wait until they meet Simon on Friday or Saturday - they'll be blown away!). They also asked the questions that I love being asked: "What do you think of gypsies?" and "Why are you working with Roma?"
Answering in Hungarian is a bit hard, but once I find some words I can use, it's easy to convey my thoughts and feelings to them. Sun up to late night, I am using only Hungarian and it's easy to see how those in a completely Hungarian environment have come so far this year. I don't regret living in Budapest as it's been a great time, but I am sad that I haven't learned to really speak in Hungarian (although I truly do understand about 90-95% of what people say).
Anyway, it's almost lunch time and I would like to go back out into the sunshine. Have a great day!
*~*~*
Horses took over Budapest at the Nemzeti Vagta (National Gallop!) It's kinda like the Kentucky Derby... only better costumes for the riders, less costumes for the audience. Oh! and if you want to watch, it's free to stand.
sorry about the terrible photo quality... I haven't written about this, but one of my technological injuries has been to my camera. Riding the trollibusz home from the homeless shelter earlier this year, I was greeted by a big, drunk, angry man who proceeded to push a few lucky people while trying to get on the bus. I had my camera (in it's protective case, even!) in my pocket and I was pushed so that my thigh hit a bar HARD. My leg hurt a lot, so I was worried to take my camera out and look. Well, it still works (obviously), but I can't really see the screen. The best part is that it doesn't have a manual viewfinder so my camera has literally become a "point and click" and hope. When I put my card in the computer, things either look amazing or like crap. This even, unfortunately, it was the latter. Oh well.
First of all, it's a family affair. I'm here with Emese's husband's ex-wife's mother (haha!), her other daughter and boyfriend and two little girls, a friend of Gyuri's and two ex-volunteer and one of their girlfriends. One guy lived in Canada for a few years, and his Canadian and my American are similar, so we're able to communicate :) (i joke, i joke!)
Anyway, this could be taken as a very racial thing, but I assure you that I mean nothing racial: i cannot get these guys to work. First, we took a break yesterday because the guys needed beer. Then after lunch, Gyuri called to tell us it was too hot to work (it's about 85* here). Then in the evening, it was still too hot to work and they're a little upset about a money situation.
Everyone else here is Roma. So, one of the things I'm faced with is the fact that Gadje (non-Roma) expect them to not want to work. So, if I am trying to get them to work, it MAY appear to them that I think less of them for not working (it may also appear to them that I'm just crazy and they'd be more correct... but not being able to completely communicate means my actions DO speak louder than my words). Last night a few of them stayed up a little late and it's now noon and I haven't seen three of them yet. Hmmm...
However, they also have the knowledge of the time frame we have - we have a week. With this many people, it's completely possible to have gotten everything done in 3 days (if anyone were in 'slave driver' mode). However, in this heat (which is really NOT that bad), they feel it necessary to take it easy for a few days. Oh well, the work WILL get done, because when we did work yesterday, we worked hard.
This has already been a great cultural experience. There are young people my age here, which is great - haven't met many Roma that are at the same "place" in their lives. They keep commenting on how great my Hungarian is after only 10 months (just wait until they meet Simon on Friday or Saturday - they'll be blown away!). They also asked the questions that I love being asked: "What do you think of gypsies?" and "Why are you working with Roma?"
Answering in Hungarian is a bit hard, but once I find some words I can use, it's easy to convey my thoughts and feelings to them. Sun up to late night, I am using only Hungarian and it's easy to see how those in a completely Hungarian environment have come so far this year. I don't regret living in Budapest as it's been a great time, but I am sad that I haven't learned to really speak in Hungarian (although I truly do understand about 90-95% of what people say).
Anyway, it's almost lunch time and I would like to go back out into the sunshine. Have a great day!
*~*~*
Horses took over Budapest at the Nemzeti Vagta (National Gallop!) It's kinda like the Kentucky Derby... only better costumes for the riders, less costumes for the audience. Oh! and if you want to watch, it's free to stand.
sorry about the terrible photo quality... I haven't written about this, but one of my technological injuries has been to my camera. Riding the trollibusz home from the homeless shelter earlier this year, I was greeted by a big, drunk, angry man who proceeded to push a few lucky people while trying to get on the bus. I had my camera (in it's protective case, even!) in my pocket and I was pushed so that my thigh hit a bar HARD. My leg hurt a lot, so I was worried to take my camera out and look. Well, it still works (obviously), but I can't really see the screen. The best part is that it doesn't have a manual viewfinder so my camera has literally become a "point and click" and hope. When I put my card in the computer, things either look amazing or like crap. This even, unfortunately, it was the latter. Oh well.
Monday, June 7, 2010
WHAT?!
I shut down my computer last night...
and started it again this morning
I lost my pictures.
No, not ALL my pictures, but the ones that I hadn't posted on here or in Facebook yet (which means they were only being held on here and hadn't been put on my flash drive because that's my system...)
goodbye pictures of Cluj-Napoca,
goodbye pictures of horses taking over Budapest,
goodbye random pictures of life in Budapest...
ugh.
What's funny is that I lost them because I accepted that my computer had seriously imploded and so I moved all of them to the new "pictures" folder.
So, when my computer reverted back to its old self this morning (except I don't have any sound again), I lost everything that had been created or saved during the short-lived random freak-out episode.
What's double funny is that I just packed all my flash drives because in going to Balatonlelle, I'm sure there won't be regular internet access, so it'll give me a reason to categorize all my stuff - now that I've lost my pictures and my music (which I'm way less concerned about, except that I lost the hard to find Hungarian worship songs that I paid twice what I usually pay for music... grrr...), I only have documents to move around and organize, so we're talking way less time and I could probably do that while waiting for my ride tonight.
hmmm... life is funny.
and started it again this morning
I lost my pictures.
No, not ALL my pictures, but the ones that I hadn't posted on here or in Facebook yet (which means they were only being held on here and hadn't been put on my flash drive because that's my system...)
goodbye pictures of Cluj-Napoca,
goodbye pictures of horses taking over Budapest,
goodbye random pictures of life in Budapest...
ugh.
What's funny is that I lost them because I accepted that my computer had seriously imploded and so I moved all of them to the new "pictures" folder.
So, when my computer reverted back to its old self this morning (except I don't have any sound again), I lost everything that had been created or saved during the short-lived random freak-out episode.
What's double funny is that I just packed all my flash drives because in going to Balatonlelle, I'm sure there won't be regular internet access, so it'll give me a reason to categorize all my stuff - now that I've lost my pictures and my music (which I'm way less concerned about, except that I lost the hard to find Hungarian worship songs that I paid twice what I usually pay for music... grrr...), I only have documents to move around and organize, so we're talking way less time and I could probably do that while waiting for my ride tonight.
hmmm... life is funny.
Last post in Budapest for a while...
My computer imploded today. My huge praise report is that I lost no documents or pictures or even that video I made of me ordering coffee! As of now, the only losses are my internet bookmarks, which are sad, but really, maybe it was a way of simplifying the number of things on my "to-do" list.
At any rate, I will be packing my computer up tomorrow and I will be traveling to Balatonlelle to work on getting a camp ready to open. So excited! Hopefully it's good and at the end of the week, there will be a camp that's ready for kids to invade!
Prayers, as always, are much appreciated.
Peace!
*~*~*
One of the most asked questions (second, in fact, to "what's the weather like?") has been "what's the food like?" I have covered this topic on a couple different occasions, but really, it's one of those things that I can't say enough about. Food has a huge importance in everyone's lifestyle... flavor, quantity, quality, appearance, background... you name it and someone can go into great detail about their food situation.
I recently found this quote about the great market halls of Budapest.
... "I’ve found that there are more stands selling meat than grocery or any other product. Draw the conclusion and you’ll understand the health problems of Hungarian society. Meat with meat and some more meat. Veggies? Sure, give me some potatoes!"
It's funny 'cuz it's true.
Anyway, I want to introduce you to 2 traditional Hungarian foods: gulyásleves and kürtőskalács.
Gulyásleves (goulash soup) is traditionally cooked over a fire in a giant cauldron and it's usually only made for huge crowds and celebrations. I've only had it traditionally cooked twice and both times were at village celebration days. Beef, tomato and paprika are the base ingredients. Some add potatoes, some add onions and peppers, some add other veggies... all it all, it's a soup (WITHOUT pasta, as many Americans make it) and you eat it with bread.
Kürtőskalács (Chimney cake) is another traditional festival food, although many have started marketing this for everyday gastronomy. It is made from flour, milk, sugar, butter, egg and yeast - make it into a dough and roll it out into long strips, then wrap the strips around an oiled roll thing. Then, you paint it with more oil and roll it in more sugar... then roast it over some hot coals, turning it to roast evenly. When it's brown, you take it out of the warmth, roll it in a topping of your choice (chocolate, cinnamon sugar, coconut, crushed poppyseeds, or walnuts). Then take it off the roll thing and let it cool - then enjoy!
At any rate, I will be packing my computer up tomorrow and I will be traveling to Balatonlelle to work on getting a camp ready to open. So excited! Hopefully it's good and at the end of the week, there will be a camp that's ready for kids to invade!
Prayers, as always, are much appreciated.
Peace!
*~*~*
One of the most asked questions (second, in fact, to "what's the weather like?") has been "what's the food like?" I have covered this topic on a couple different occasions, but really, it's one of those things that I can't say enough about. Food has a huge importance in everyone's lifestyle... flavor, quantity, quality, appearance, background... you name it and someone can go into great detail about their food situation.
I recently found this quote about the great market halls of Budapest.
... "I’ve found that there are more stands selling meat than grocery or any other product. Draw the conclusion and you’ll understand the health problems of Hungarian society. Meat with meat and some more meat. Veggies? Sure, give me some potatoes!"
It's funny 'cuz it's true.
Anyway, I want to introduce you to 2 traditional Hungarian foods: gulyásleves and kürtőskalács.
Gulyásleves (goulash soup) is traditionally cooked over a fire in a giant cauldron and it's usually only made for huge crowds and celebrations. I've only had it traditionally cooked twice and both times were at village celebration days. Beef, tomato and paprika are the base ingredients. Some add potatoes, some add onions and peppers, some add other veggies... all it all, it's a soup (WITHOUT pasta, as many Americans make it) and you eat it with bread.
Kürtőskalács (Chimney cake) is another traditional festival food, although many have started marketing this for everyday gastronomy. It is made from flour, milk, sugar, butter, egg and yeast - make it into a dough and roll it out into long strips, then wrap the strips around an oiled roll thing. Then, you paint it with more oil and roll it in more sugar... then roast it over some hot coals, turning it to roast evenly. When it's brown, you take it out of the warmth, roll it in a topping of your choice (chocolate, cinnamon sugar, coconut, crushed poppyseeds, or walnuts). Then take it off the roll thing and let it cool - then enjoy!
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Protests, Flooding and Relocation
So, this has been quite the month.
Protests: The political system has been pushed into hyper-drive with the recent election outcome. The Jobbik party has organized several demonstrations and protests that have been relevant to my life. One of them was against the camp along the Balaton Lake that is for Roma children. Today they are having a large demonstration in a park near my flat which is preventing my evening plans from happening. Boo! :( Jobbik, if you don't remember, is the FAR RIGHT political party with radical ideas and many of their political demonstrations could easily lead to violence. Makes for an interesting night, I suppose, but I think I'll try to stay as far away as possible.
Flooding: I have a meeting tonight with my pastor. I just found out I'll have no problem meeting him, but it would have been a problem yesterday evening. You see, because it hasn't stopped raining FOR AN ENTIRE MONTH!, we had flooding in the metros. Awesome, right? Yeah, unless you're one of the 3 million people here in Budapest and use the metros on a daily basis. On a flip note, it looks like it's supposed to be a beautiful weekend - yay! :)
Relocation: It's happening. I'm relocating to the lake on Monday. I will be there from Monday, June 7 through Tuesday, June 15th. Then I will come back to Budapest for a night or two, then go back to the Balaton area on Wednesday or Thursday for another week. Should be a good time and I'm really looking forward to having my morning coffee on the lake! :)
*~*~*
Gypsy Houses in Romania
At first sight, I thought I wasn't understanding Gábor correctly as he explained what these houses were. Then, when Gyüri re-explained, it was the exact same thing. Allow me to share with you the story I heard (twice) and am still amazed at.
In an attempt to show off their wealth, quite a few gypsies in Romania started building HUGE houses. They are characterized by their extreme size, bright colors (if they're painted) and shiny roofs. However, they are all left unfinished to varying degrees.
There are a few probable reasons for this.
A) they run out of money before they can finish it.
B) they decided they really don't want to live like Gadje (non-Roma)
C) they don't want to pay the taxes on it (you don't have to pay taxes if you don't finish it)
Any one of those (or combination thereof) would be sufficient reason from the looks of it... check it out!
Protests: The political system has been pushed into hyper-drive with the recent election outcome. The Jobbik party has organized several demonstrations and protests that have been relevant to my life. One of them was against the camp along the Balaton Lake that is for Roma children. Today they are having a large demonstration in a park near my flat which is preventing my evening plans from happening. Boo! :( Jobbik, if you don't remember, is the FAR RIGHT political party with radical ideas and many of their political demonstrations could easily lead to violence. Makes for an interesting night, I suppose, but I think I'll try to stay as far away as possible.
Flooding: I have a meeting tonight with my pastor. I just found out I'll have no problem meeting him, but it would have been a problem yesterday evening. You see, because it hasn't stopped raining FOR AN ENTIRE MONTH!, we had flooding in the metros. Awesome, right? Yeah, unless you're one of the 3 million people here in Budapest and use the metros on a daily basis. On a flip note, it looks like it's supposed to be a beautiful weekend - yay! :)
Relocation: It's happening. I'm relocating to the lake on Monday. I will be there from Monday, June 7 through Tuesday, June 15th. Then I will come back to Budapest for a night or two, then go back to the Balaton area on Wednesday or Thursday for another week. Should be a good time and I'm really looking forward to having my morning coffee on the lake! :)
*~*~*
Gypsy Houses in Romania
At first sight, I thought I wasn't understanding Gábor correctly as he explained what these houses were. Then, when Gyüri re-explained, it was the exact same thing. Allow me to share with you the story I heard (twice) and am still amazed at.
In an attempt to show off their wealth, quite a few gypsies in Romania started building HUGE houses. They are characterized by their extreme size, bright colors (if they're painted) and shiny roofs. However, they are all left unfinished to varying degrees.
There are a few probable reasons for this.
A) they run out of money before they can finish it.
B) they decided they really don't want to live like Gadje (non-Roma)
C) they don't want to pay the taxes on it (you don't have to pay taxes if you don't finish it)
Any one of those (or combination thereof) would be sufficient reason from the looks of it... check it out!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
A recipe and a friend :)
I wanted something sweet last night and started looking through my cupboards. I found bread, ketchup, rice and some assorted spices and chocolate powder. The only thing I had that was sweet was sugar. So... I quickly realized how often I've had sweet rice for lunch at the hospital and thought "Voila! I can make sweet rice!" Perfect.
It turned out so good, I wanted to share it with you. Be aware - it really does take about 30-40 minutes if you keep the temperature below medium (on a 1-9 scale, with 9 being the hottest - I had it at cooking at a 4).
GERMAN SWEET RICE
1 c. dry rice
2/3 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 c. water
3 c. milk
2 tbsp. butter
Spray a 2 quart saucepan with Pam. Add dry rice and water. Cook over medium low heat until most of water has been absorbed. Add milk and continue cooking slowly, stirring frequently.
Remove from heat while rice is still rather soft. Add sugar, butter and salt and mix well. Should be cooked in last 30 to 40 minutes before serving.
If rice becomes too stiff, add a small amount of milk and heat through. Pour into bowl for serving, sprinkle top with sugar and cinnamon.
...
I would ease up on the milk (maybe 2.5 cups) and I added cocoa powder, cinnamon and vanilla to the mix when I added in the sugar. FINOM! DELICIOUS!
*~*~*
A Day in The Life of Gábor
I made a new friend this last weekend on my trip into Romania. Because I took a LOT of pictures of him doing things throughout the weekend, I didn't figure I needed to take any of me doing these things - Gábor could just walk you through the festival for me. So, without further adieu, I present Gábor and Mera Days:
Gábor came along as a driver. We took two vans full of future volunteers and a children's band (I wrote about the Romano Glaszo band a few posts back...) Here, we took a break just inside the Hungarian/Romanian border.
So glad we didn't drive that thing! There were SOOO many horse carts throughout the village. It's the sound I woke up to and the sound I went to sleep to - the clippety clop of horse carts going by. It was a little surreal - like stepping back in time :)
"downtown" (I say that in such a way because it's a VILLAGE), there was a little market, where you could buy all kinds of homemade treasures. Gábor went jewelry shopping for his daughter... and snack shopping for his ears :P
making kürtőskalács - a Transylvanian specialty.
kürtőskalács = love.
It turned out so good, I wanted to share it with you. Be aware - it really does take about 30-40 minutes if you keep the temperature below medium (on a 1-9 scale, with 9 being the hottest - I had it at cooking at a 4).
GERMAN SWEET RICE
1 c. dry rice
2/3 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 c. water
3 c. milk
2 tbsp. butter
Spray a 2 quart saucepan with Pam. Add dry rice and water. Cook over medium low heat until most of water has been absorbed. Add milk and continue cooking slowly, stirring frequently.
Remove from heat while rice is still rather soft. Add sugar, butter and salt and mix well. Should be cooked in last 30 to 40 minutes before serving.
If rice becomes too stiff, add a small amount of milk and heat through. Pour into bowl for serving, sprinkle top with sugar and cinnamon.
...
I would ease up on the milk (maybe 2.5 cups) and I added cocoa powder, cinnamon and vanilla to the mix when I added in the sugar. FINOM! DELICIOUS!
*~*~*
A Day in The Life of Gábor
I made a new friend this last weekend on my trip into Romania. Because I took a LOT of pictures of him doing things throughout the weekend, I didn't figure I needed to take any of me doing these things - Gábor could just walk you through the festival for me. So, without further adieu, I present Gábor and Mera Days:
Gábor came along as a driver. We took two vans full of future volunteers and a children's band (I wrote about the Romano Glaszo band a few posts back...) Here, we took a break just inside the Hungarian/Romanian border.
So glad we didn't drive that thing! There were SOOO many horse carts throughout the village. It's the sound I woke up to and the sound I went to sleep to - the clippety clop of horse carts going by. It was a little surreal - like stepping back in time :)
"downtown" (I say that in such a way because it's a VILLAGE), there was a little market, where you could buy all kinds of homemade treasures. Gábor went jewelry shopping for his daughter... and snack shopping for his ears :P
making kürtőskalács - a Transylvanian specialty.
kürtőskalács = love.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Discovering Communism by Remembering Communism
I'm still in Budapest and a little frustrated at this point, but instead of touching on that, I'm giving you a post through pictures of Memento Park in the outskirts of Budapest
Communism: something US natives know nothing about... good idea, but it never works...
Because I know very little about communism, I decided that something I really SHOULD see before I leave Budapest is the part with all the old Communist statues and mementos. One beautiful Monday afternoon, we did just that. Enjoy learning through my lesson.
The Red Star that represented Communism - The Pentagram is said to represent the five fingers on a worker's (the center of socialism) hand.
Many of the statues were dedicated to just normal people because the real heroes of Communism are the common blue collar workers. Many of the following have no real faces or description because of it - they were meant to encourage the public to picture themselves as the heroes.
This a memorial to Béla Kun, a Hungarian Communist Revolutionary.
Random fact: when this was still standing, it was called Béla Motel by the local homeless people because it made a great rain shelter :)
this plaque was funny to me. Some guy worked in a factory. :)
This is a Martyr's Memorial - not sure what the complete story is, but it looks like half-man, half-ape... weird.
Kristin (an American English teacher in Újszász, Hungary) and I used our amazing Hungarian skills to translate this plaque: "Thank you for freeing up our time so we can play badminton."
I'm fairly certain that's not REALLY what it says, but that's as close as I can get you :P did I mention that we went through the park without a guide or booklet or anything?
This is the Buda Volunteer Regiment Memorial - it kinda speaks for itself, and yet I have no further intelligent insight to give you.
This is Capt. Miklós Steinmetz. He is the one that ordered the ultimatum during the Battle of Budapest - Hungarians and Germans surrender to the Soviet Army or they'll eat all your gulyás and páprika... or something like that.
Pioneers:
a) what some people refer to our Wednesday night program as (it's "Explorers") at Home Acres Church in Kentwood, Michigan
b) the children organization operated by the Communist party, with headquarters in Budapest.
thank goodness we're out of the "Red Scare" of my home church would be in a little trouble :P
The Republic of Councils Monument... or as Hungarians refer to it: "Miss, you dropped your kerchief!"
The Hungarian Fighters in the Spanish International Brigades Memorial
The Workers' Movement Memorial
This is the Liberation Monument (not to be confused with the Hungarian Statue of Liberty which currently stands over Budapest)
Stalin's boots. A giant Stalin once stood in Budapest's city park. On October 23rd, 1956, the beginning date of the Hungarian (failed) Revolution against the Soviets, this statue was sawed at the knees. Crowds were there to witness this giant dictator brought down. The boots themselves are taller than me, so you can understand just how big the actual statue was (8 meters).
Communism: something US natives know nothing about... good idea, but it never works...
Because I know very little about communism, I decided that something I really SHOULD see before I leave Budapest is the part with all the old Communist statues and mementos. One beautiful Monday afternoon, we did just that. Enjoy learning through my lesson.
The Red Star that represented Communism - The Pentagram is said to represent the five fingers on a worker's (the center of socialism) hand.
Many of the statues were dedicated to just normal people because the real heroes of Communism are the common blue collar workers. Many of the following have no real faces or description because of it - they were meant to encourage the public to picture themselves as the heroes.
This a memorial to Béla Kun, a Hungarian Communist Revolutionary.
Random fact: when this was still standing, it was called Béla Motel by the local homeless people because it made a great rain shelter :)
this plaque was funny to me. Some guy worked in a factory. :)
This is a Martyr's Memorial - not sure what the complete story is, but it looks like half-man, half-ape... weird.
Kristin (an American English teacher in Újszász, Hungary) and I used our amazing Hungarian skills to translate this plaque: "Thank you for freeing up our time so we can play badminton."
I'm fairly certain that's not REALLY what it says, but that's as close as I can get you :P did I mention that we went through the park without a guide or booklet or anything?
This is the Buda Volunteer Regiment Memorial - it kinda speaks for itself, and yet I have no further intelligent insight to give you.
This is Capt. Miklós Steinmetz. He is the one that ordered the ultimatum during the Battle of Budapest - Hungarians and Germans surrender to the Soviet Army or they'll eat all your gulyás and páprika... or something like that.
Pioneers:
a) what some people refer to our Wednesday night program as (it's "Explorers") at Home Acres Church in Kentwood, Michigan
b) the children organization operated by the Communist party, with headquarters in Budapest.
thank goodness we're out of the "Red Scare" of my home church would be in a little trouble :P
The Republic of Councils Monument... or as Hungarians refer to it: "Miss, you dropped your kerchief!"
The Hungarian Fighters in the Spanish International Brigades Memorial
The Workers' Movement Memorial
This is the Liberation Monument (not to be confused with the Hungarian Statue of Liberty which currently stands over Budapest)
Stalin's boots. A giant Stalin once stood in Budapest's city park. On October 23rd, 1956, the beginning date of the Hungarian (failed) Revolution against the Soviets, this statue was sawed at the knees. Crowds were there to witness this giant dictator brought down. The boots themselves are taller than me, so you can understand just how big the actual statue was (8 meters).
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