Speed Bumps

I was housebound today due to the snow.

Gave me a long time to think. I understand that i'm going to live in Budapest but I don't at the very same time.

I left my whole entire life behind. Eight whole hours behind to be exact and it's kind of messing with me.

Hopefully I get over it. The studying is going well, and even though I joined a class already in session, I think I am caught up and doing well.

Tomorrow will be my second day of school and it will help to get out of the house.

It's also good that my text book has raunchy pictures.

More Birthday!

So today we ventured down to my mother's hometown of Tatabayna to celebrate my Grandfather's birthday again with my aunt's family. Since it snowed a lot (which by Colorado standards isn't really that much..... but it's cute to see them fuss about it) we took the train. And by train I mean two separate light rails and THEN the train lol

Riding the train was rad and the dude, at the station, playing the theme to The Godfather on what sounded like a recorder was equally as amazing.

We surprised Poppa (grandpa) by taking him to dinner at a place where I have been many times before with my parents. It's a neighborhood bar of sorts. I ordered my father's favorite meal and had a LOT to drink.

I realized over the course of the night how much like my mother and her sister I am. We're forgetful, we ask questions that don't necessarily need to be asked and we're fun-loving, jovial if you will.

The dinner went well and afterwards there was a band (a man and a keyboard but according to the paper that means band) who played a few hits. He was nice and played a birthday song for Poppa. Then afterwards, Poppa got up and sang a song, which was quite possibly the best thing i've ever seen. Such a good man. He then proceeded to dance around with Mama (grandma) and it was so touching.

It was also a wake up call when my cousin asked me what I was waiting for to get married, I am going to be 24 after all. LoL. They are still pretty old school around here.

It's good to see them all, I'm quite possibly becoming the best version of myself because of them.

YES. RULE.

Well. Today I started school and it was SO FUN. The teacher was super nice, in that awesome grammar school way where you aren't wrong and trying is always encouraged. The other students are nice and are from Finland, South Korea, Iraq, and France.... all super nice peoples. The school itself is pretty big and so far I am learning pretty well.

After that we went to the Vaci Utca (big huge long pedestrian street full of H&M, Mango, Zara, Promod and other amazingness) to pick up some books and grab some coffee.

Today I learned that to pay for certain things i.e. utilities or other things, you have to do that at the post office. It was completely strange. I'm sure if I went to a post office to pay my Xcell bill they would be zero sorts of helpful.

Hungarians LOVE Kansas. KANSAS. Nothing against Kansas it's just strange to see someone's eyes light up when they talk about it. My mother made sense of it and said it's probably from watching Westerns, which is also probably why when I say i'm from Denver they draw a blank until I talk about the mountains and the wilderness.

I also learned today that "fene" which is a word used in many curse words (think damn, or damnit) means anthrax. All these years my mother, grandmother, great-grandmother even have been cursing with anthrax. To me, this is completely hysterical and rather strange.

The kids here are precious. I find that when a child throws a hissy fit and whines in another language, I love it. It's cute. I also like the strollers they have here. Everytime I see one of these super Euro strollers in which the child is standing, strapped in the middle and carted around, I laugh. Sometimes I laugh real hard because it reminds me of a little baby hannibal lector.

This, translated, means pig cheese. There is only pig and no actual cheese in here:

Saw this. Hope it's the artists girlfriend cause that would be kick ass and pretty sweet:

THIS IS THE BEST CAR IN THE UNIVERSE. EVER. It's called a Trabant and I fully FULLY intend on owning one someday. Super cute and way classic. Forever I will love these cars.

I like it

There are a few things going on around this burg that I like.

Burger King:

They have fancy Burger King pants, which i'm sure all American men would like because it accentuates the prosterior. They also have egg rolls. This place rules.

Ketchup:

I LOVE ketchup. I need it to go with my fried potatoes. However in this country they don't have it at your table. And when you ask them to bring you some to your table, they bring you a teaspoon in a tiny jar. Which makes you think twice about asking for more. Or as in most situations, you have to pay for it to come with your meal. - that's insanity but one of the many things I love learning about this place.

Mexican Style Pizza:

That means you've thrown some corn kernals onto a slice of Pizza, don't ask me how that makes sense

This Guy:

I've seen this wine a couple of times and it cracks me up. Is this his wine, does he like the wine? Did he win a contest? I have no desire to drink a wine and stare at some dudes face the whole time.

Today my grandparents, ma and I went back to West End City Center. The biggest mall monstrosity. 400 stores. It's epic. I fell in love with a D&G watch and we'll see how long it takes for me to break down and buy it. This also depends on how much I like having food to eat.

I am completing a lot of big tasks such as getting student ID, student transport pass and an actual plan for my phone.

Next up I get to get a tax ID number (So I can get a job.... AWESOME) and a student Visa.

I start school tomorrow, which is earlier than first anticipated. They need extra time to assess my skill level. They decided this after I told them that I can read but not really understand what i'm saying lol.

School is from 9 am to 1 pm and I could not be more stoked on this existence.

It snowed today, and now i'm not so homesick anymore hahahaha

Every Man For Himself!

SUCCESS!

We have figured out two routes to the school, both of which take approximately 25 minutes. The joy! I love my sleep and I also love the simplicity. Everything is falling into place. It was colder than crap today and the views were not so awesome, and I refuse to photograph such a beautiful city when it's not at it's best. And you called it, i'm lazy.

My school. My school is much like the one I just graduated from: functional. Sure I had dreams of what vintage the building would be and if there would be grand lion statues on either side of the master entrance but... not so much. It's an office building. You hear that AIC? You got me. Elevators and all.

I'm really excited to start next week, it will give me something to focus on.

There is something interesting I learned today about my mother. Something I learned while walking through the city with her. She is a die hard subscriber to the "everyman for himself" european policy.

Let me explain. In America we walk together, have conversations, break the line of contact only to let other people through.... in Hungary they get there as fast as possible and worry not of their friends/family. Either you get there fast or not at all, who cares about together or at the same time. Hilarious.

At Dusk

I can see the Danube from my kitchen and I love the view at dusk. Ice chunks and all.

And yes that kind of looks like Portland.

I'm on the GRID

Well.

I'm beginning to feel a lot more connected. I have a bank account and a working phone, complete with a super long phone number and a + sign.

Let me tell you something about Hungary. There is paperwork for DAYS. Everything must be stamped and there is a long, drawn out, possibly impossible process for everything.

Including you, T Mobile lady. She was NOT stoked on helping us with anything and finally the end solution was to purchase the damn sim card (oh and there is no let's just try it out and see in this country either) and when and only if I make the phone work, can I come back and purchase a plan. Holy, holy.

My mother gave me the skinny on Hungarian customer service. It begins with an N and ends with an O and they will try selling you the most expensive option.

Basically, i'm starting to miss the good ol' customers always right policy in the US.

I'm pretty sure we were scoffed at.

Aside from that bonanza there was the adventure of getting the phone back to the condo and unlocking it through a series of internet tutorials and random application downloads.

6 hours later, and voila, I have a Hungarian phone. Oh and my first text message:

I am happy to report that everyone else in the city has been pleasant and accommodating.

Today my mother and I are going to ride the bus and figure out the direct route I need to take to school. I've since located my camera and cannot wait to go on this little mini adventure.

I just wish it were about 40 degrees warmer.

Happy Birthday Grandpa!

Well today was my Grandpa's 65th birthday, and I was so stoked to celebrate with him:

He has the best jokes and the biggest heart.

He also owns a car that wishes him happy birthday and displays a cake on his dash for the whole day. I'm a little jealous.

He loves the steak at TGI Friday's. We went to West End City Center (the biggest freaking mall i've ever been to in my life..... I'm sure i'll have thousands of pictures of that later). It's kind of interesting to eat at an American restaurant in another country. Although it's way overpriced.

I flew half way around the world to eat chicken fingers and drink iced tea for my first meal out. After lunch we took him to Media Mart i.e. Best Buy to pick out some DVDs. And now I leave you with this amazing gem:

That's a rad cough you got there

Good Morning, the view from the bedroom.

I got sick. I'm inclined to blame one of the 8,000 people I just shared two planes with. Oh well.

Today was long. Kinda rough. It all sort of hit me that I just moved my entire life very, very far away. If my mother left right now i'd be hard pressed to find a band aid or know which detergent wont F my clothes up.

It's kind of scary. I understand now why people say things like "this is just something I have to do". This is. It's very important to me. I feel childish that i'm so homesick and that I feel so isolated.

It will pass. Since I threw my digital camera into my suitcase in a yet undisclosed location I have had to use my Iphone as a camera.

and now I leave you with a miracle:

Thank you, Frankfurt Airport

The Frankfurt Airport. Huh.

IT'S HOT AS BALLS. This is for real.

If you are anything short of an olympic athlete and you learn that you depart from any "A" gate you should just throw in the towel.

Essentially, you've just been told that although you are on Colfax and Lincoln, your plane will be departing from Broadway and I-25, and you better hurry because you're WALKING.

and if you're not from Denver just know that what is described above is something no one I know has done unless on a controlled substance or in need of a controlled substance.

Anyways, not only do we have to trek all the way to the A gates, A 38 to be exact, but once we get to the 38th, yes almost 40th gate we are told that we are now supposed to be at the 15th. I was pretty jovial, almost laughing, it was still comical. Until we got to the 15th gate and they told us what we REALLY wanted was the 11th. I needed a beer.

Long story short I drank a beer, boarded a plane, sat on the tarmac not moving for about two hours until we finally started on our way to Budapest.

If I had it to do over again, I still would, I just would have had another beer first.

Denver to Frankfurt

It took nine hours to go 5,026 miles.

I was seated in what could be described as a two part mini-series of annoyance. Episode one was the lady in front who was a FAR leaner. The person who takes the seat back to its breaking point and then leans into it with her entire upper body thus depriving me of four more inches.

The crazy lady behind me was a seat sleeper. Meaning she slept with her head on the back of my seat. This meant that she essentially punched me in the back of the head for the entire flight.

It was somewhere over Chicago that my mother delivered the most glorious news - the bathrooms were DOWNSTAIRS. It was in that instant that I realized that I was fulfilling one of my life goals. Fly on a plane much like the one in Turbulence starring Ray Liotta.

We got two meals, and I read all of Chelsea Handler's "Are you there Vodka? It's me Chelsea"

and whoever called that I wouldn't feel the enormity of moving to a new country until I was on the plane was right......