We have been home for 5 weeks now. I have been trying to be observant of my responses, reactions and adjustments because this is the first time I have ever experienced being away from my home land.
On the flight home I had a 3 hour layover in Seattle. Jack and I flew separately so I was really able to go inward and reflect on the process. As I sat in the terminal and watched the travelers walk by me my first reaction was how diverse they were. I saw people of Asian, African, Hispanic, East Indian decent. That was a huge difference from the 11 months prior. The other thing that I noticed immediately was how people would smile at me (for no reason). The Hungarian people tend to be quite somber and I certainly did not have people smile at me on the street. I came to respect this and just did not make eye contact or smile as I would at home. Once people recognized us like the merchants or the old lady who sold veggies and flowers from her garden to us, they were very friendly (even though we could not converse), but strangers just don't acknowledge each other like they do here.
My taxi driver did not speak english well, so I went into slow speak mode as I gave him the directions to find my house. Our street intersects with a blind corner so there is a mirror on the telephone pole to give you a view of the oncoming traffic. I always tell people about the mirror when they leave our house, so I stood in the driveway and gave him directions before he pulled out. I dug out my key and messed with it because I couldn't remember which direction (notches up or down) in went it. As I opened the door, much to my amazement, both of the cats were sitting there to greet me! How did they know it was me? I had expected them to hide under the bed in fear when I came in! The more I thought about it, the more I decided that they must have recognized my voice as I was talking to the driver! And people say that cats are not smart!
I have found that now I think about every trip in the car that I take and am more cognizant of the distances that I drive. We were able to use public transit for an entire year in Hungary. When I used to see someone waiting for a bus, I used to feel sorry for them. Now I think, "Aren't they smart, they don't have the expense of a car."
After having to be creative with my wardrobe because I had so few clothes, I have lost the desire to shop for more and really feel that I have an abundance of clothes (and really who really cares anyway?)
Life is definitely easier when everyone speaks your language. Still I find myself yearning for the challenges that we dealt with and know that someday we will return to live in Budapest.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Final Ceremony
The last few days in Budapest were a blur. First we attended the "leaving" ceremony for Jack's 8th graders. It was held in the evening and just like the opening ceremony in August, the school was an oven. The classes gathered in their form class which is like a homeroom. They all wore the formal uniform and many of the girls had had their hair done up. Most of them (including the boys) had been given multiple bouquets of flowers. The 5th-7th grade classes were also in their homeroom classes. Family and friends collected on both sides of the stage, and all along the balcony.
At the starting hour, the two 8th grade classes formed a single file line behind their form teacher. These teachers stay with the kids from 5th grade through the 8th, so everyone knows each other very well. The graduates snaked from classroom to classroom carrying their flowers and serenaded the other classes, weaving their way through the school and then downstairs where they were seated by form class. The principal's husband was standing next to me and he translated for me during the short ceremony commemorating their accomplishments. After that they were given balloons in the school colors of blue and yellow. Then in groups with the spectators following, they went outside where they released the balloons with much fanfare. They have had this big environmental program in tandem with a school in Ireland for a couple of years, so the balloon launch in my mind, did not mesh with that. It was a sweet salute to the years spent at the school and it seemed to mean a lot to the kids that we had come.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
June-the end of school.
Wow, June was a blur! The kids were done in their heads about the end of May. It seemed to me to be a more pronounced shift in attitude than in the U.S. but that may have been due to my having been retired for the last 3 years. The entire last week of school I gave up trying to teach. Part of the problem was that I had to turn in all of my curriculum 5 days before school was over. At that point it would have been ridiculous to have tried to maintain class as usual. I ended up taking all of my classes outside. But, one day the door to the courtyard area where we had been going was locked. I sent one of the kids to get a key from the porter (not giving it a second thought). He ambled over with his key ring and instead of being his jovial self, he was scowling and would hardly look at me. I thought to myself, "Even the porter is dead tired at this point in the year." This was during first period. When I told my second period class that we would be going out, they responded that Clari (one of the administrators) had told their first period class that no one would be able to go into the play yard that morning. Since I had no lesson plans and the classrooms were hotter than hell, I said, "Well, no one told me, so we are going out". (I guess that explained the porter's attitude when I had him unlock the door, he was going against orders.) This is an example of the lack of communication that proved to be one of the most frustrating aspects of our teaching in Hungary.
As challenging as it was to teach in Hungary, I had become very attached to most of the kids. One of my 5th grade classes in particular has been really fun to work with and I like all of the kids (even the tough ones.) On the last day I went into their classroom and kissed each one of them on both cheeks (as I had become comfortable with doing) and said goodbye to them. As I write this I still get a lump in my throat knowing that I will probably never see them again.
As challenging as it was to teach in Hungary, I had become very attached to most of the kids. One of my 5th grade classes in particular has been really fun to work with and I like all of the kids (even the tough ones.) On the last day I went into their classroom and kissed each one of them on both cheeks (as I had become comfortable with doing) and said goodbye to them. As I write this I still get a lump in my throat knowing that I will probably never see them again.
Friday, May 21, 2010
6th graders
Let me first say that I have hated May with children for years. It is close enough to the end of the school year that kids are "done". They are wild in class and just don't want to work. By June they seem to settle down a little and there are lots of field trips and other events to break up the instruction time.
Well, Hungarian children are no different and might be a little worse. Everyday my classes come in and ask to "play" because school is almost out. I tell them the same thing each time; "I am paid to teach you english and you don't learn any by playing Heads UP 7 UP!" I taught them this game because it is American (I think) and ensures that at least for a couple of minutes they will be quiet!
So, on with my story of the 6th grade girls. I chose to walk to the 2nd bus stop and get on there yesterday. That way I don't have to wait with lots of crazy children for the bus to come. As it pulled up some of the windows were open and I could hear this racket. I looked in before boarding and saw a pile of my 6th grade girls right in the front of the bus just screaming and laughing. Well when they spotted me getting on they made a beeline for the back where they clustered and continued their rowdy behavior. I followed them although it would have been easier to just sit in the front and ignore them. When I got there, I got no attitude, just whoo, hoo party type stuff. They respect me enough to have quieted down enough so that I could give them the "You represent our school and right now you are embarrassing me" speech. They quieted down a little and just tried talking with me about how they couldn't help it that school was almost out and they were too excited. (Mind you, school is NOT out until June 15). "Oh but you love us anyway, Mrs. Holmes" one of them said to me. I looked each one of them in the eye and said, "Yes, I love you, but sometimes I don't like your behavior!"
We all got off the bus at the same stop. They were going to the complex of flats on the right and ours is more on the left. One of the girls that I found to be more challenging in the fall than the others, but who has come around did not veer off with her friends, but instead walked side by side with me. I had seen her go toward the complexes on the right before, so I knew that she was taking a slight detour. When I asked her about it, she said, "Are you trying to get rid of me?". "No, I like talking with you, I was just curious" I replied. We continued to walk and talk for another block. I knew that she had a hand ball competition over the weekend, so we talked about that. When it came to the point where I should cross the street, she said goodbye and took a hard right. Her body language said I am too cool to want to spend time with my teacher even though she had just made an effort to do just that! Gotta love 6th graders because by the 7th grade the peers always win over adult contact!
Well, Hungarian children are no different and might be a little worse. Everyday my classes come in and ask to "play" because school is almost out. I tell them the same thing each time; "I am paid to teach you english and you don't learn any by playing Heads UP 7 UP!" I taught them this game because it is American (I think) and ensures that at least for a couple of minutes they will be quiet!
So, on with my story of the 6th grade girls. I chose to walk to the 2nd bus stop and get on there yesterday. That way I don't have to wait with lots of crazy children for the bus to come. As it pulled up some of the windows were open and I could hear this racket. I looked in before boarding and saw a pile of my 6th grade girls right in the front of the bus just screaming and laughing. Well when they spotted me getting on they made a beeline for the back where they clustered and continued their rowdy behavior. I followed them although it would have been easier to just sit in the front and ignore them. When I got there, I got no attitude, just whoo, hoo party type stuff. They respect me enough to have quieted down enough so that I could give them the "You represent our school and right now you are embarrassing me" speech. They quieted down a little and just tried talking with me about how they couldn't help it that school was almost out and they were too excited. (Mind you, school is NOT out until June 15). "Oh but you love us anyway, Mrs. Holmes" one of them said to me. I looked each one of them in the eye and said, "Yes, I love you, but sometimes I don't like your behavior!"
We all got off the bus at the same stop. They were going to the complex of flats on the right and ours is more on the left. One of the girls that I found to be more challenging in the fall than the others, but who has come around did not veer off with her friends, but instead walked side by side with me. I had seen her go toward the complexes on the right before, so I knew that she was taking a slight detour. When I asked her about it, she said, "Are you trying to get rid of me?". "No, I like talking with you, I was just curious" I replied. We continued to walk and talk for another block. I knew that she had a hand ball competition over the weekend, so we talked about that. When it came to the point where I should cross the street, she said goodbye and took a hard right. Her body language said I am too cool to want to spend time with my teacher even though she had just made an effort to do just that! Gotta love 6th graders because by the 7th grade the peers always win over adult contact!
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Transitions
""During my teaching career at home, beginning in early August I would start having dreams of school. A usual theme was of walking into a classroom and finding that I had the class from hell. I always figured that was the way I was preparing on a subconscious level for my summer to end and the preparations for another school year to begin.
Last night I dreamed that I was in the Portland airport and was checking my wallet to see if I had enough money for the taxi. When I opened it, all I could see was colorful currency (the forint is quite colorful) but no dollars. I must be preparing for the transition home.
I have been observing that besides being tired to the bone and yet not sleeping well (it's currently 2:54 AM) there are some things which are really annoying me. These are not new, I have been tolerating them for months, but now they have become annoying. Our flat is the first one on the left side of the hall, so that our bathroom wall is where the hallway ends. There is a heavy metal fire door there. You can shut this door quietly with a little care. Sometimes (like when the kid down the hall blasts through it) it slams so hard that the walls in our flat vibrate. It seems that no one is taking care to shut it quietly lately and that is really bugging me. The toilet seat is too small for the toilet and has begun to shift to the left. If you sit down too hard, it will jerk and slide. I am tired of that. Our glorious spring weather has gone to sh@%!! It has been raining hard for several days and the weather forecast shows more of the same this week. The paths where I walk the dogs have turned to mud holes and when the rain stops, the mosquitos quickly rise in the woods. It has been so unpleasant that there was no dog walking session all week. It is as if Budapest is telling us that it is time to go home.
On a lighter note. On Thursday, I returned to school late in the afternoon for a private tutoring session with a couple of kids who do not go to our school. My classes at KFAMK had ended for the day several hours earlier and I had turned in my keys to the porter who speaks not a word of english. I don't have a classroom, so my classes are held in different rooms throughout the day and each time, I have to fetch a key from him.
He is always pleasant and smiles but that is the limit of our conversation. I was not in need of a key because we meet with these kids in Jack's classroom and were issued keys to that room in the fall. I was preoccupied as I walked by the porter's station, going over my plans for Tundi and Balasz. I had passed his window without even looking in to greet him. Just as I got past I heard "Koti" which is how Hungarians usually pronounce my name. He had never called me by name before. I turned around and returned to his window. He gave me a smile. "Kolch"? (not the correct spelling, but that is how the word "key" sounds to me). I think he thought that he was saving me a return trip down the stairs to retrieve the key to the classroom that I use the most often. I shook my head, "nem" and showed him the key ring with the key on it. "O.K." he replied. At that point I felt more like a true member of the staff than ever before.
Last night I dreamed that I was in the Portland airport and was checking my wallet to see if I had enough money for the taxi. When I opened it, all I could see was colorful currency (the forint is quite colorful) but no dollars. I must be preparing for the transition home.
I have been observing that besides being tired to the bone and yet not sleeping well (it's currently 2:54 AM) there are some things which are really annoying me. These are not new, I have been tolerating them for months, but now they have become annoying. Our flat is the first one on the left side of the hall, so that our bathroom wall is where the hallway ends. There is a heavy metal fire door there. You can shut this door quietly with a little care. Sometimes (like when the kid down the hall blasts through it) it slams so hard that the walls in our flat vibrate. It seems that no one is taking care to shut it quietly lately and that is really bugging me. The toilet seat is too small for the toilet and has begun to shift to the left. If you sit down too hard, it will jerk and slide. I am tired of that. Our glorious spring weather has gone to sh@%!! It has been raining hard for several days and the weather forecast shows more of the same this week. The paths where I walk the dogs have turned to mud holes and when the rain stops, the mosquitos quickly rise in the woods. It has been so unpleasant that there was no dog walking session all week. It is as if Budapest is telling us that it is time to go home.
On a lighter note. On Thursday, I returned to school late in the afternoon for a private tutoring session with a couple of kids who do not go to our school. My classes at KFAMK had ended for the day several hours earlier and I had turned in my keys to the porter who speaks not a word of english. I don't have a classroom, so my classes are held in different rooms throughout the day and each time, I have to fetch a key from him.
He is always pleasant and smiles but that is the limit of our conversation. I was not in need of a key because we meet with these kids in Jack's classroom and were issued keys to that room in the fall. I was preoccupied as I walked by the porter's station, going over my plans for Tundi and Balasz. I had passed his window without even looking in to greet him. Just as I got past I heard "Koti" which is how Hungarians usually pronounce my name. He had never called me by name before. I turned around and returned to his window. He gave me a smile. "Kolch"? (not the correct spelling, but that is how the word "key" sounds to me). I think he thought that he was saving me a return trip down the stairs to retrieve the key to the classroom that I use the most often. I shook my head, "nem" and showed him the key ring with the key on it. "O.K." he replied. At that point I felt more like a true member of the staff than ever before.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
The School's 25th Anniversary
Karinthy Frigyes school celebrated it's 25th anniversary on Saturday. The festivities started at 10:00 and the entire community had an open invitation to come and partake.
It started with a Brazilian drum band which led us on a circuit around the building. This had a real latin feel to it and I found myself marveling at the fact that Hungarians could appreciate that beat as well. These guys knew how to work the crowd! Pretty soon a few brave women started a conga line! I could have listened (and moved) with them for hours!
After the steel band finished there were activities all over the school including a play (which looked to be some sort of fairy tale or folk story based on the costumes), a May pole where messages could be written, different entertainment centers throughout the building, a slide show with 25 years of memories on a constant loop, kids displaying their artwork and what I found to be really interesting, a human foos ball game. If you look at the picture which I have included, the kids are tethered inside an expandable "cage" and they attempt to get a ball into the goal of the opposing team. When I asked some of my students why the kids were clamped onto a rope, they explained to me that it was supposed to be a living (insert Hungarian word here). They loved it and I remarked to Jack that we could use such a system in our classrooms for the kids who always need to be moving!
The party went on for hours, we stayed for two, and were given a souvenir book and t-shirts with the school name and logo imprinted on them. It was a fun time for all and demonstrated that Hungarians can organize a big event when they have to because in our experience, and we were told this by our Hungarian trainers in August, organization is not a strength for them!
It started with a Brazilian drum band which led us on a circuit around the building. This had a real latin feel to it and I found myself marveling at the fact that Hungarians could appreciate that beat as well. These guys knew how to work the crowd! Pretty soon a few brave women started a conga line! I could have listened (and moved) with them for hours!
After the steel band finished there were activities all over the school including a play (which looked to be some sort of fairy tale or folk story based on the costumes), a May pole where messages could be written, different entertainment centers throughout the building, a slide show with 25 years of memories on a constant loop, kids displaying their artwork and what I found to be really interesting, a human foos ball game. If you look at the picture which I have included, the kids are tethered inside an expandable "cage" and they attempt to get a ball into the goal of the opposing team. When I asked some of my students why the kids were clamped onto a rope, they explained to me that it was supposed to be a living (insert Hungarian word here). They loved it and I remarked to Jack that we could use such a system in our classrooms for the kids who always need to be moving!
The party went on for hours, we stayed for two, and were given a souvenir book and t-shirts with the school name and logo imprinted on them. It was a fun time for all and demonstrated that Hungarians can organize a big event when they have to because in our experience, and we were told this by our Hungarian trainers in August, organization is not a strength for them!
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Jack Botsci
We took the subway into Budapest last night for dinner. We were sitting facing a couple who had a young boy in one of those slings where he was facing out toward the world on his dad's chest. He was about 22 months old and really checking Jack out. Pretty soon I heard him say, "Botsci " which means uncle and is a term of respect that the kids at school also use when addressing the teachers. So, if we had chosen those terms, they would be calling us Jack Botsci and Cathie Neni. We started with Mr. and Mrs. Holmes, but some of my kids get a kick out of calling me Cathie Neni. Anyway, I heard this little guy say Botsci and I said, "Igen" (yes) and pointed to Jack. Then I pointed to myself and said "neni" and he repeated it. His parents were beaming as we had this little exchange with their son. He kept repeating and Jack and I would just crack us up and I am sure it was a fun game and reinforcing for him. It was quite sweet.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
American treats from home
When I saw my brother and his wife in February I mentioned to them that I hadn't been able to find chocolate chips anywhere here and how much we were missing chocolate chip cookies.
So, yesterday there was a little notice in the mailbox (all in Hungarian of course) that we had a package to pick up at the post office. I went by today. Thankfully there is one woman in our local branch who speaks passable english. I handed her my slip and in exchange I received a box from Oregon. I left the post office and immediately tore into the box. Low and behold inside was a box of graham crackers (which I have really been craving), the Costco size package of Nestles chocolate chips and some super sized Ghirardelli chocolate chips. What a treat!! As soon as I find some vanilla I will make our staff some cookies. Thanks Kevin and Kim!!
So, yesterday there was a little notice in the mailbox (all in Hungarian of course) that we had a package to pick up at the post office. I went by today. Thankfully there is one woman in our local branch who speaks passable english. I handed her my slip and in exchange I received a box from Oregon. I left the post office and immediately tore into the box. Low and behold inside was a box of graham crackers (which I have really been craving), the Costco size package of Nestles chocolate chips and some super sized Ghirardelli chocolate chips. What a treat!! As soon as I find some vanilla I will make our staff some cookies. Thanks Kevin and Kim!!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Slovenia
Okay, Lake Bled speaks for itself in pictures. It really looks like a postcard. We stayed in a pension on the Lake, so that if I sat on the window ledge, I could look out at the lake and castle. It has been settled since the Stone Age.
What I am choosing to write about is a day trip we took into the mountain villages. Since we had a car, we decided to explore the area. The Alps are looming, so you can't lose on a clear day. At one point we could see a church up on a bluff. Jack asked if I was up for trying to find it, of course, I said yes. So we began to make our way up the winding, narrow rode. Suddenly, Jack said, "Oh no!" and I got a glimpse of a yellow motor bike sliding toward us at high speed. Then I heard it hit the car, scrape along the side, and nothing. We jumped out of the car, praying that the bike and driver were not under our wheels! Thank god, he had slid beyond the car and was laying in the rode. As we ran to him, he was pulling the bike off of him. "Are you okay?" we asked. He nodded. As he stood up I saw that he was in a uniform including a yellow helmet with the postal logo on it. His pants were torn along the hip where he had slid on the rode and the bike was leaking fluid, but other than that, he seemed okay. However, he spoke only slovenian. He said something to us that sounded to me like "police report", so I nodded, yes. He pulled his bike out of the rode and got on his cell. We had to wait about an hour for the police to show up. Meanwhile, we helped him put dirt on the spillage on the rode and nodded and smiled. The cops showed up and luckily, they spoke some english. Both Jack and the postman were given breathalyzer tests. The cops and the postman did lots of talking which was weird because we had no idea what they were saying and if we were being blamed for the accident. An accident report was filled out along with a diagram of the event. I picked up no blaming body language from the postman or the cops. We replied that it was an accident with no one at fault. When the official proceedings (measuring, sanding the skid, etc.) were finished, the cops told us that we could go. The postman came over, offered his hand and said, "Sorry". It was a touching, human moment for me.
The lucky thing is that Jack had decided to buy the additional insurance on the car when he rented it. He usually passes. So it only cost us 200 Euros for the damage to the rental.
What I am choosing to write about is a day trip we took into the mountain villages. Since we had a car, we decided to explore the area. The Alps are looming, so you can't lose on a clear day. At one point we could see a church up on a bluff. Jack asked if I was up for trying to find it, of course, I said yes. So we began to make our way up the winding, narrow rode. Suddenly, Jack said, "Oh no!" and I got a glimpse of a yellow motor bike sliding toward us at high speed. Then I heard it hit the car, scrape along the side, and nothing. We jumped out of the car, praying that the bike and driver were not under our wheels! Thank god, he had slid beyond the car and was laying in the rode. As we ran to him, he was pulling the bike off of him. "Are you okay?" we asked. He nodded. As he stood up I saw that he was in a uniform including a yellow helmet with the postal logo on it. His pants were torn along the hip where he had slid on the rode and the bike was leaking fluid, but other than that, he seemed okay. However, he spoke only slovenian. He said something to us that sounded to me like "police report", so I nodded, yes. He pulled his bike out of the rode and got on his cell. We had to wait about an hour for the police to show up. Meanwhile, we helped him put dirt on the spillage on the rode and nodded and smiled. The cops showed up and luckily, they spoke some english. Both Jack and the postman were given breathalyzer tests. The cops and the postman did lots of talking which was weird because we had no idea what they were saying and if we were being blamed for the accident. An accident report was filled out along with a diagram of the event. I picked up no blaming body language from the postman or the cops. We replied that it was an accident with no one at fault. When the official proceedings (measuring, sanding the skid, etc.) were finished, the cops told us that we could go. The postman came over, offered his hand and said, "Sorry". It was a touching, human moment for me.
The lucky thing is that Jack had decided to buy the additional insurance on the car when he rented it. He usually passes. So it only cost us 200 Euros for the damage to the rental.
Condensed events
Yes, I have been remiss in my blog entries, but I have great excuses. Things have been quite interesting here lately. My aerobics teacher, Ilona, will be coming to spend September and October with us in Portland. We are really looking forward to hosting her and she is ecstatic for the opportunity to be immersed in the language that she wants so badly to master.
Now, I know that my family reads this and I don't want anyone to be concerned. I have decided to include this without lots of details: I have been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. This means that I have had to go to hungarian doctors (who have proven to be very thorough and caring), make a trip to a hungarian hospital for some diagnostic tests, and am taking meds for the condition. The hospital visit was a challenge because not only were there no signs in english, but I dealt with no one who spoke a lick of english. When it was over, I felt as though I had really accomplished something difficult. THEN, I had an allergic reaction to the thyroid meds. I have include a picture. Never been so uncomfortable. I itched from my arches to inside my ears! So now I am on meds to control the meds. Will review my options when I talk to my doctor at home.
Okay, for the good part . . . we had spring vacation last week. Due to my health issues, we were unable to do much preplanning not knowing if we would be able to leave town or not. So we ended up renting a car and decided to drive down to the Dalmatian coastline of Croatia and then to Lake Bled in Slovenia. We had no reservations and not much itinerary, so we just drove where our inclination took us. We stayed in sobes (rooms in people's home) in Croatia. In Senj, we were approached by a middle aged man who spoke a little english. He asked if we needed a room. We told him that we would look at it. So we followed him to his home where we were met by his wife who smiled a lot, but spoke no english and his daughter who told us she was studying engineering at university and spoke excellent english. The room was clean as was the bathroom. What impressed me the most was that the sheets had obviously been ironed, because dryers are rare and I know what our sheets look like in Budapest after we take them off the drying rack. We told them we would take it and paid them 30 euros (about $45).
The next morning we just started driving the gorgeous coastline and saw signs for the ferry to the island of Rab which we had read about. We looked at each other and said, "Want to check it out?" So we did! It was such a beautiful place with medieval buildings and the remnants of a wall which used to ring the city we decided to spend the night and began our search for a place to crash. It is a resort town where lots of Germans and Italians stay so we knew that the motels were going to be spendy, so we decided to search for another sobe. We discovered this one above a restaurant and found it to be just as clean and well cared for. From the little balcony, we even had a partial view of the Adriatic.
Then, on to Slovenia!
Now, I know that my family reads this and I don't want anyone to be concerned. I have decided to include this without lots of details: I have been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. This means that I have had to go to hungarian doctors (who have proven to be very thorough and caring), make a trip to a hungarian hospital for some diagnostic tests, and am taking meds for the condition. The hospital visit was a challenge because not only were there no signs in english, but I dealt with no one who spoke a lick of english. When it was over, I felt as though I had really accomplished something difficult. THEN, I had an allergic reaction to the thyroid meds. I have include a picture. Never been so uncomfortable. I itched from my arches to inside my ears! So now I am on meds to control the meds. Will review my options when I talk to my doctor at home.
Okay, for the good part . . . we had spring vacation last week. Due to my health issues, we were unable to do much preplanning not knowing if we would be able to leave town or not. So we ended up renting a car and decided to drive down to the Dalmatian coastline of Croatia and then to Lake Bled in Slovenia. We had no reservations and not much itinerary, so we just drove where our inclination took us. We stayed in sobes (rooms in people's home) in Croatia. In Senj, we were approached by a middle aged man who spoke a little english. He asked if we needed a room. We told him that we would look at it. So we followed him to his home where we were met by his wife who smiled a lot, but spoke no english and his daughter who told us she was studying engineering at university and spoke excellent english. The room was clean as was the bathroom. What impressed me the most was that the sheets had obviously been ironed, because dryers are rare and I know what our sheets look like in Budapest after we take them off the drying rack. We told them we would take it and paid them 30 euros (about $45).
The next morning we just started driving the gorgeous coastline and saw signs for the ferry to the island of Rab which we had read about. We looked at each other and said, "Want to check it out?" So we did! It was such a beautiful place with medieval buildings and the remnants of a wall which used to ring the city we decided to spend the night and began our search for a place to crash. It is a resort town where lots of Germans and Italians stay so we knew that the motels were going to be spendy, so we decided to search for another sobe. We discovered this one above a restaurant and found it to be just as clean and well cared for. From the little balcony, we even had a partial view of the Adriatic.
Then, on to Slovenia!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
English proficiency testing
Yesterday our 7th grade kids (at least the majority of them) took the preliminary english test PET. The halls were almost buzzing with their nervous energy. I thought it interesting that they wore their formal attire (black bottoms, white tops and the school tie or scarf) for the occasion.
British testers come into the school to administer these tests which consist of a listening component, reading comprehension and a speaking test. I think that would be a great job, traveling within Europe to administer these exams.
British testers come into the school to administer these tests which consist of a listening component, reading comprehension and a speaking test. I think that would be a great job, traveling within Europe to administer these exams.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Eger
We had a three day weekend last weekend, so we took the bus to a town in Hungary called, Eger. Many of the hungarians that we told where we were going replied that it is one of their favorite cities.
I have not traveled in Hungary much yet, but each time that I do I have noticed nuclear power plants which looks so strange to me now that Trojan has been gone for several years.
Eger has a long history of human habitation which actually goes back to the Stone Age. The current city was founded in the 10th Century by the first Christian king of Hungary, St. Stephen. It is a site of interest to us for two reasons. First of all there is a castle shell still standing which you can walk around (for free). There is a famous story written by a Hungarian writer named Gardonye Geza about a siege of the castle by the Turks in 1552. I have tried (unsuccessfully) to read it. Now that we have been there I will make another attempt. Anyway, as the story goes, the Hungarians were defending their castle against attack by 80,000 Turk soldiers. They numbered only about 2000 and that included women and children. They were successful that time, but the Turks succeeded on their next attempt in 1596 and took over the town. They ruled for 91 years converting the churches into mosques and erecting minarets. One still stands and we paid our 250 forint (about $1.25) to climb the very narrow 97 steps to the top for a view of the city. It sounds better than it actually was. Both Jack and I experienced some claustrophobia in the tiny passageway and turns out the view wasn't any better than castle hill. As I breathlessly arrived at the top viewing point, I remember thinking, "What would happen if someone freaked out and could not take those stairs back down for fear of falling?" One man who was in the group ahead of us carried his son who was about 3 years old all the way up and back down again. He must have been in great shape!
Okay, the other reason that Eger is famous is for the wine. The region has been growing wine since the 10th century. The wine tasting rooms were clustered along a hilly part of town where they had dug the tasting caves right into the hill. They were small and not at all plush. The visible wine storage was in these metal tanks which had spouts which had to be primed by someone sucking on a tube. The really interesting part is that people can bring in plastic jugs and have them filled from these tanks with the wine of their choice.
My favorite Hungarian wine is call bikaver which is a blended red. It's nickname is "Bull's Blood". The story goes that prior to the first attack on the castle by the Turks the soldiers were fed well and given lots of wine which stained their beards. The Turks were so amazed by the resistance to their attack that the rumor began that the soldiers were drinking wine which was mixed with bull's blood to give them strength.
We didn't taste anything that we liked well enough to shlup back on the bus however.
The bad news is that Jack left his camera on the bus from Budapest. So, our pictures of Eger come from the Wikipedia.
Friday, March 5, 2010
The Weather
I have lived in the Pacific Northwest for my entire life.
I don't remember being bothered by the rain as a kid. My memories are of going barefoot in the grass in the summer and popping the tar bubbles that would appear in the street.
But, as an adult, I have been bothered by the frequency of cloudy drizzly days. Jack and I have been saying for about 10 years that we want to explore retiring somewhere other than western Oregon, but what would be a good fit for us weather wise?
Well, now we have had a chance to experience a completely different climate and I have to say that we are enjoying it!
When we first arrived in August it was really hot. It stayed on the warm side throughout Sept. and was pleasant in Oct. It started getting cold in November and the snow arrived in December. We had snow on the ground most days through February and it was really cold for about 8 weeks straight. But what we have not had a lot of is rain! How refreshing that has been. Now that spring is approaching, it seems that there will be one rainy day followed by a couple of sunny ones. It is still cold, but what an upper to experience the sun consistently this time of year!
So now we know that there are climates that we would enjoy other than that which we have spent over 50 years with!
I don't remember being bothered by the rain as a kid. My memories are of going barefoot in the grass in the summer and popping the tar bubbles that would appear in the street.
But, as an adult, I have been bothered by the frequency of cloudy drizzly days. Jack and I have been saying for about 10 years that we want to explore retiring somewhere other than western Oregon, but what would be a good fit for us weather wise?
Well, now we have had a chance to experience a completely different climate and I have to say that we are enjoying it!
When we first arrived in August it was really hot. It stayed on the warm side throughout Sept. and was pleasant in Oct. It started getting cold in November and the snow arrived in December. We had snow on the ground most days through February and it was really cold for about 8 weeks straight. But what we have not had a lot of is rain! How refreshing that has been. Now that spring is approaching, it seems that there will be one rainy day followed by a couple of sunny ones. It is still cold, but what an upper to experience the sun consistently this time of year!
So now we know that there are climates that we would enjoy other than that which we have spent over 50 years with!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Dog Shelter update
It has been about two months since I started walking dogs at the shelter. I have been test driving dogs to find a good fit for me. If the entire walk consists of me pulling the dog back, that is not much fun for anyone. So, I have found the perfect dog for me. His name is Bogar and they told me that he is one of their older, calmer dogs. He seems to recognize me and doesn't rush out of the gate like a race horse when they put the leash on him. He responds to his name, seems to like his head petted and knows the meaning of "nem" (no). So I am thinking about starting an exclusive relationship with him.
The goats and sheep have had babies in the last few weeks. They also have a new addition; a young deer with one deformed ear.
On Sundays there are lots of families visiting. They feed the goats and sheep and play with the dogs. Hopefully, the adoption rate is good, I have no way of knowing.
I have been very impressed with the cleanliness of the place and the devotion of the staff toward the dogs. When I indicated to this employee that I would like to take a picture of him and Bogart, he picked the dog up and beamed.
The goats and sheep have had babies in the last few weeks. They also have a new addition; a young deer with one deformed ear.
On Sundays there are lots of families visiting. They feed the goats and sheep and play with the dogs. Hopefully, the adoption rate is good, I have no way of knowing.
I have been very impressed with the cleanliness of the place and the devotion of the staff toward the dogs. When I indicated to this employee that I would like to take a picture of him and Bogart, he picked the dog up and beamed.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Berlin
My brother and his wife were in Berlin for a professional conference so we flew over to meet them. Kevin has been going to Berlin since 1990 (a year after the wall came down), so he has a historical perspective and is a great tour guide. Yes! It was really cold!
All of us in a certain age bracket remember studying about Berlin after WWII and then in 1960 when the wall was erected. So here we were staying in the Mitte which is smack dab in the middle of former E. Berlin!
My impressions of Berlin are that it is a vibrant and modern city. Due to the damage of the war, many of the old building in the area where we were staying had been leveled. So on a street you might see one obviously old building surrounded by these fabulous modern buildings. It had a totally different vibe than Budapest.
The first night we took a cab to where some of my brother's coworkers were having dinner. The cab let us off at the curb of this narrow street. We had to walk carefully (due to thick ice) through what appeared to be an abandoned lot toward what looked like an empty old building. We found some stairs which we presumed led to the entrance. Sure enough on the second floor of this old building (we were later told that it had been a post office) we found a dimly lit hallway and a hostess! She led us into an area at the end of the hallway that opened up into a dome with an intricate ceiling and about 15 long tables. What a venue!
The menu was in German but the waitress translated to the best of her ability. I ended up ordering the vegetarian menu. It came as the most beautifully presented dish that I had seen in months. The Hungarians are not into presentation. And the meal. . . fabulous! It was paired with some great wines of my brother's choosing. Since my brother works with the international community, that evening I had conversation with people from Taiwan, India, Brazil and Scotland. It was quite the eclectic group.
Our 3 1/2 days flew by and were filled with lots of sightseeing. We would go back to Berlin in a heartbeat, but, so many places and so little time!
All of us in a certain age bracket remember studying about Berlin after WWII and then in 1960 when the wall was erected. So here we were staying in the Mitte which is smack dab in the middle of former E. Berlin!
My impressions of Berlin are that it is a vibrant and modern city. Due to the damage of the war, many of the old building in the area where we were staying had been leveled. So on a street you might see one obviously old building surrounded by these fabulous modern buildings. It had a totally different vibe than Budapest.
The first night we took a cab to where some of my brother's coworkers were having dinner. The cab let us off at the curb of this narrow street. We had to walk carefully (due to thick ice) through what appeared to be an abandoned lot toward what looked like an empty old building. We found some stairs which we presumed led to the entrance. Sure enough on the second floor of this old building (we were later told that it had been a post office) we found a dimly lit hallway and a hostess! She led us into an area at the end of the hallway that opened up into a dome with an intricate ceiling and about 15 long tables. What a venue!
The menu was in German but the waitress translated to the best of her ability. I ended up ordering the vegetarian menu. It came as the most beautifully presented dish that I had seen in months. The Hungarians are not into presentation. And the meal. . . fabulous! It was paired with some great wines of my brother's choosing. Since my brother works with the international community, that evening I had conversation with people from Taiwan, India, Brazil and Scotland. It was quite the eclectic group.
Our 3 1/2 days flew by and were filled with lots of sightseeing. We would go back to Berlin in a heartbeat, but, so many places and so little time!
The Poetry Contest
Jack and I were judges in a poetry reading contest at a bilingual high school (Gimnasium) last week.
This was an event open to grades 9-12 and these kids were the finalists of each of their high schools. There were three judges, the two of us and a Scotsman who is a cop in Budapest. We were seated prominently in the front of the room (why didn't I dress up more) with the 17 contestants all seated in chairs. Surprisingly, there were an equal number of boys and girls. As I have mentioned before this country really appreciates poets and poetry. Each child had to recite a compulsory poem and a poem of their own choosing. We had scoring sheets and were directed to give three separate scores for their pronunciation, interpretation of the theme and dramatic effect. Here is the compulsory poem, I think that it is quite thought provoking.
WHICH ARE YOU? Ella Wheeler Wilcox
There are two kinds of people on earth today
Just two kinds of people, no more, I say.
Not the sinner and saint, for it's well understood,
The good are half bad, and the bad are half good.
Not the rich and the poor, for to rate a man's wealth
You must first know the state of his conscience and health.
Not the humble and proud, for in life's little span
Who puts on vain airs, is not counted a man.
Not the happy and sad, for the swift flying years
Bring each man his laughter and each man his tears.
No; the two kinds of people on earth I mean,
Are the people who lift and the people who lean.
Wherever you go you will find the earth's masses,
Are always divided in just these two classes.
And oddly enough, you will find too, I mean,
There's only one lifter to twenty who lean.
In which class are you? Are you easing the load,
Of overtaxed lifters who toil down the road?
Or are you a leaner who lets others share
Your portion of labor and worry and care?
Considering they were reciting in a language other than their mother tongue, I was really impressed with the performances. We awarded a tie for first place, a second and third prize. The kids were polite and appreciative. I am sure that I will never have this opportunity again!
This was an event open to grades 9-12 and these kids were the finalists of each of their high schools. There were three judges, the two of us and a Scotsman who is a cop in Budapest. We were seated prominently in the front of the room (why didn't I dress up more) with the 17 contestants all seated in chairs. Surprisingly, there were an equal number of boys and girls. As I have mentioned before this country really appreciates poets and poetry. Each child had to recite a compulsory poem and a poem of their own choosing. We had scoring sheets and were directed to give three separate scores for their pronunciation, interpretation of the theme and dramatic effect. Here is the compulsory poem, I think that it is quite thought provoking.
WHICH ARE YOU? Ella Wheeler Wilcox
There are two kinds of people on earth today
Just two kinds of people, no more, I say.
Not the sinner and saint, for it's well understood,
The good are half bad, and the bad are half good.
Not the rich and the poor, for to rate a man's wealth
You must first know the state of his conscience and health.
Not the humble and proud, for in life's little span
Who puts on vain airs, is not counted a man.
Not the happy and sad, for the swift flying years
Bring each man his laughter and each man his tears.
No; the two kinds of people on earth I mean,
Are the people who lift and the people who lean.
Wherever you go you will find the earth's masses,
Are always divided in just these two classes.
And oddly enough, you will find too, I mean,
There's only one lifter to twenty who lean.
In which class are you? Are you easing the load,
Of overtaxed lifters who toil down the road?
Or are you a leaner who lets others share
Your portion of labor and worry and care?
Considering they were reciting in a language other than their mother tongue, I was really impressed with the performances. We awarded a tie for first place, a second and third prize. The kids were polite and appreciative. I am sure that I will never have this opportunity again!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
The cat person and some homeless Hungarian dogs
Yeah, I am a cat person. I have an old photo of me when I was about 2 years old and draped in my arms is this huge cat and I am wearing a smile from ear to ear. We never had dogs when I was a kid, only cats (I guess that I come from a long line of feline fanciers.) The only time I had ever walked a dog was about 25 years ago when Jack and I babysat his parents' poodle.
Well, here in Hungary dogs are plentiful, but the number of cats I have seen can be counted on one hand. I was going through animal withdraw!!
So, I did some research and found out that there is an animal shelter not too far from our school in the burb where we are living. I sent and e-mail of inquiry and much to my surprise got a response in english along with an application form. I filled it out, sent it via Hungarian snail mail and was notified that I could start the "work". So last week I walked over after school and found the shelter and what a shelter it is. It backs up to a large wooded area and has several structures strung along this path. As I walked along I spotted a chicken shelter with some "fancy" chicken strutting around, an area with goats, a pen holding a ferret and then the dogs' buildings. They are build it a circular formation with little pie wedge shaped pens which house three dogs each. The advantage is that the dogs can see out through the bars because they are at the wide end of the wedge. Of course when they saw me I received a loud doggy welcome.
I found a sign which looked like it said something like "administration". Sometimes Hungarian words look similar to English but usually there is no way to figure out a word. They have lots more vowels than we do and some of them have accent marks. The thing that makes a lot of sense to me about their language is that each vowel always sounds the same no matter the position in the word, (what a concept, huh?) So I entered that building and found an office with several chairs and two women behind the counter. I asked if either of them spoke English and the one at the computer responded and said that she recognized me from the passport photo that I had included with my application. She asked if I would like to start. I responded that I would and that I had lots of experience in cat shelters. "We don't have any cats here, " she responded. " Would you like to walk a dog?"
I agreed but told her that I could only handle a small to medium sized dog. They handed me a leash and lead me out to the round dog areas to a cocophany of barking. They must have seen the lease and everyone wanted to go for a walk. I was introduced to the fortunate pup. I asked, Nav? which means name and patted the yellow mixed bread doggie. As soon as she was clipped she took off, pulling like crazy on the lease. How can a dog that weighs probably 35 pounds pull so hard that I almost went airborne?? She obviously knew the route, around the building to the gate which leads to a path through the wooded area. This dog was SO excited to be exploring. She took me along the creek and through the woods. Who knew that all dogs do is pee, sniff and poop! She could have cared less about me, she had her doggy agenda. Luckily when I turned her around she knew the way back because I was really not sure! When we got back to the ad building I took her inside. The English speaker got on her walkie-talkie and called back the employee who had set me up with the dog. When the young woman came in she swooped the dog up and then took her paw and helped the dog to wave goodbye to me.
I have been back several times to be pulled by a dog though the path. They all seem to be estatic to be free. When the lone English speaker is not in the Hungarians that work there and I just guesture and nod. Everyone seems to know me and I don't have to show my picture ID. I am probably the only non-native volunteer that they have.
The good news is last time I was there a cat who lives on the grounds found me. He was one of those super friendly big males who purrs as soon as the petting commences. So hopefully sometimes I can get a kitty fix when I am improving the lives of dogs!
Well, here in Hungary dogs are plentiful, but the number of cats I have seen can be counted on one hand. I was going through animal withdraw!!
So, I did some research and found out that there is an animal shelter not too far from our school in the burb where we are living. I sent and e-mail of inquiry and much to my surprise got a response in english along with an application form. I filled it out, sent it via Hungarian snail mail and was notified that I could start the "work". So last week I walked over after school and found the shelter and what a shelter it is. It backs up to a large wooded area and has several structures strung along this path. As I walked along I spotted a chicken shelter with some "fancy" chicken strutting around, an area with goats, a pen holding a ferret and then the dogs' buildings. They are build it a circular formation with little pie wedge shaped pens which house three dogs each. The advantage is that the dogs can see out through the bars because they are at the wide end of the wedge. Of course when they saw me I received a loud doggy welcome.
I found a sign which looked like it said something like "administration". Sometimes Hungarian words look similar to English but usually there is no way to figure out a word. They have lots more vowels than we do and some of them have accent marks. The thing that makes a lot of sense to me about their language is that each vowel always sounds the same no matter the position in the word, (what a concept, huh?) So I entered that building and found an office with several chairs and two women behind the counter. I asked if either of them spoke English and the one at the computer responded and said that she recognized me from the passport photo that I had included with my application. She asked if I would like to start. I responded that I would and that I had lots of experience in cat shelters. "We don't have any cats here, " she responded. " Would you like to walk a dog?"
I agreed but told her that I could only handle a small to medium sized dog. They handed me a leash and lead me out to the round dog areas to a cocophany of barking. They must have seen the lease and everyone wanted to go for a walk. I was introduced to the fortunate pup. I asked, Nav? which means name and patted the yellow mixed bread doggie. As soon as she was clipped she took off, pulling like crazy on the lease. How can a dog that weighs probably 35 pounds pull so hard that I almost went airborne?? She obviously knew the route, around the building to the gate which leads to a path through the wooded area. This dog was SO excited to be exploring. She took me along the creek and through the woods. Who knew that all dogs do is pee, sniff and poop! She could have cared less about me, she had her doggy agenda. Luckily when I turned her around she knew the way back because I was really not sure! When we got back to the ad building I took her inside. The English speaker got on her walkie-talkie and called back the employee who had set me up with the dog. When the young woman came in she swooped the dog up and then took her paw and helped the dog to wave goodbye to me.
I have been back several times to be pulled by a dog though the path. They all seem to be estatic to be free. When the lone English speaker is not in the Hungarians that work there and I just guesture and nod. Everyone seems to know me and I don't have to show my picture ID. I am probably the only non-native volunteer that they have.
The good news is last time I was there a cat who lives on the grounds found me. He was one of those super friendly big males who purrs as soon as the petting commences. So hopefully sometimes I can get a kitty fix when I am improving the lives of dogs!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Christmas in Europe
We took the train to Prague for Christmas.
You know the images that people have of trains in Europe where you have those cool compartments where you can slide the doors shut? Well, the folks who were traveling 1st class had those, but the 2nd class cars which we were in were just like trains in the U.S. As we stepped on the train to look for our seats which were printed on our tickets we saw someone in our seats. Turned out that they were American and that someone was sitting in their seats, so appartently the seating assignments weren't adhered to. So we sat down across the aisle from them. Turned out it was a father (about mid 40's) and his daughter who were in Europe for Christmas. Well, we talked almost the entire 7 hours of the trip. We didn't realize how hungry we were for conversation with Americans! And these folks were aligned with our values and lifestyle. Mark had served in the Peace Corp and so he understood the challenges of being in a foreign country where little English is spoken. They were politically liberal just like us and Morgan was quite the composed and mature young woman of 18, so we enjoyed talking with her as well.
When we arrived at the train station the first thing we had to do was change money. At the time I had in my wallet Euros, dollars and Hungarian forint. When we got the Czech currency I was carrying 4 currencies! Both The Czech Republic and Hungary are part of the EU and are scheduled to change to euros. However with the global economy such as it is there have been delays in the process. Hungary was supposed to change in 2010, but there economy is really depressed and so it has been postponed indefinitely.
We felt quite comfortable taking the subway to our hotel stop and felt pleased that we are now able to negotiate subway systems with relative ease. The Hotel Europa was just a short walk downhill (thank goodness for suitcases on wheels). When we arrived we walked into a grand old hotel with character oozing from it's 120 year old walls. Our room was on the 4th floor which we got to in one of those old elevators with the metal gates. To make a long story short, the room was a massive suite with old style furnishings and built in closets overlooking a square with lots of action. We were enthralled until we discovered that the toilet only flushed intermittently and the shower lacked water that was warmer than tepid with no water pressure!
As soon as we dropped our luggage, we bundled up to go explore and find dinner. Following a glimpse of a steeple that we could see, we found the main square which was dominated by the most beautiful Christmas tree that I had ever seen! It literally brought me to tears!
So, we spent 3 days walking the streets of Prague with a lot of tourists and locals as well. The city is about half the size of Budapest, so it was an easier feat to accomplish. It was super cold the whole time, but each day had fewer clouds so our pictures improved. We had an incredible time and really felt like we had been dropped into a fairy tale.
We made some interesting observations about the Czechs v. Hungarians. First of all there is much more english spoken at least in the areas that we visited. Language was just not an issue. Also, the Czechs understand about service in a restaurant, offering excellent service and suggesting additions to make the meals more complete. This is something that we never experience in Budapest. There, they take your order which sometimes means that we point to the Hungarian words on the menu and pray that we are making a good choice, bring it, and then you never see them until you have to flag the server down to beg that they bring the check. Once they do, though, they hoover over you as you look at the bill and calculate the tip.
I have included several pictures which speak to our experience in Prague as well as anything.
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