10 Unexpected Lessons of a Semester Abroad

I can't believe it, but I'm half-way through my semester abroad! I think that this is the time when I would typically write a heart felt reflection of the past two months (this or this). However, I think these leave out some of the critical life lessons offered by a semester abroad.

10 Unexpected Lessons of a Semester Abroad

1. How to operate a variety of toilets. (I still haven't found a squat toilet or a self-cleaning toilet, but I have found a variety of flushing mechanisms).
2. How to use 10 words and miming to communicate almost anything
3. What to do when you're on a train and an announcement is made in Hungarian, and then everyone looks very concerned at hurries to exit the train. (Exit the train, since everyone else is. Watch as an inspector look in every carriage, and then the train drives off. Wait for the next train. I still have no idea what it was about.).
4. How to pay rent in cash and handle hand-written receipts of your monthly payment.
5. The many types of fur coats and fur hats.
6. How to operate gas appliances, like heaters, water heaters, ovens, and stoves. (Extra credit for having to light them yourself.)
7. How to grocery shop using pictures of food. (There's a cow on the carton? Good chance that it's milk!)
8. 50 years of train and tram styles.
9. How to look like a European by cultivating a non-smiling slightly bored expression in public.
10. How wonderful Mexican food is in L.A.

Hot Chocolate, Dinner, and Salsa Dancing

I've had a really fun week. Thursday night, I met up with classmates to study in a desert cafe near my flat. I had a fantastic cup of hot chocolate. Actually, all the hot chocolate I've had here has been fantastic. It's all made with real chocolate, rather than the powdered mix. Also, freshly whipped cream. This particular cup of hot chocolate had banana and nuts as well :) So tasty! The cafe is also really cool - all of the elaborate slices of cake and chocolate are between one and two dollars. The drinks are about three dollars. Much better than Starbucks and way cheaper!

Friday night, I went to dinner at a vegetarian restaurant with two other vegetarians, and tried veggie versions of some of the classic Hungarian dishes. The food was fantastic! (Side note: it hasn't been at all hard to find good vegetarian food here.)

Tonight, I went salsa dancing. It was so much fun! The venue ran things very similarly to how things are generally run in the USA. We went in, got wrist bands at the card table staffed by volunteers, hung up our coats, and then had an open floor. It cost about $5.00.

Upcoming Plans: Next week I'm headed to London for 3 days, and then the weekend after that I'm headed to Barcelona for 7 days! I'm not sure when I'll find time to blog, but eventually pictures will be posted :)

Happy Women's Day!

Today I just could not figure out why everyone was carrying around flowers! Was it the first day of spring? Was it because the weather was getting warmer? Was it Valentine's Day II? At dinner we finally learned from the waiter that it was "Women's Day." It is celebrated like Mother's Day, but for all women and girls. Women and girls are given flowers. Girls are given daisies, women are given tulips, lilies, and roses. Flower colors are yellow and pink (never red!).

Brief googling suggests that "Women's Day" was started in the 1950's. It is related to "International Women's Day," which is also today. It is popular in many Eastern European countries because under communism, it was a day to appreciate the labors of women (similar to labor day, but for women in particular). Modern Women's Day seems to be focused on giving girls and women flowers and cards. Cutest part - seeing baby girls in strollers with daisies!

Happy Women's Day!

Soviet Era Hungarian Jokes

In the 70's and 80's, jokes were officially tolerated as a way for people to blow off steam. Here are a couple, learned from my film course professor.

"What's the difference between a democracy and a people's democracy? The same as between a jacket and a straight jacket."

This next one requires a bit of explanation. In the 50's, the police would come by in the middle of the night, ring the doorbell, and then search apartments and/or take people away to prison camps.

So, one night, a couple hear the doorbell ring in the middle of the night. Very worried, the rush downstairs to open the door, and their landlord says, "don't worry. It's just that the building is on fire."

Update

I haven't been blogging very much because I've been so busy. Here are the high lights:

• Travis visited last week, so sometime soon (this weekend?) I will post pictures. We visited a lot of places, including Buda Castle and the baths. 
• I am starting to recognize street signs. "Ájto és ablak" (Door and Window), "Új Sherlock, Új Holmes"  (New Sherlock, New Holmes)
• I've watched a few really good movies in my film class.

Other than that, classes are going well and it is still snowing!

Review: Terror Háza Múzeum (House of Terror Museum)

http://www.terrorhaza.hu/en/museum
/first_page.html

A Short History of the Building

The House of Terror Museum is a memorial to the victims of the fascist and communist regimes in Hungary. The building was used as headquarters by the Arrow Cross Party (the Hungarian Nazi Party) in the 1940's. Until 1944, Hungary preserved a legitimate, elected parliament and government. That March, Nazi Germany occupied Hungary, and gave power to the Arrow Cross Party. The building came to be called the "House of Loyalty," and the basement was constructed for political prisoners, who were tortured and killed within the building.

At the end of World War II in 1945, the Soviet Union occupied Hungary and set up a single party communist government. Stalinist policies were adopted, thousands of Hungarians were killed or sent to Gulags. Ethnic cleansing continued, food shortages abounded, and thousands became political prisoners. During this period, the building was taken over by the ÁVO and ÁVH (Hungarian versions of the KGB), and the interrogation, imprisonment, and execution of political prisoners continued in the building. The name of the building was changed to the "House of Terror."

What does AIT look like?

Film Review - Kontroll (directed by Nimród Antal)

My Review: 95%

Main Character: Bulcsú (pronounced Bulchu) is a ticket checker on the Metro.

Romantic Interest: Sofie, a pretty girl in a bear costume!

Plot: Mysterious deaths begin to occur on the Metro, and are initially considered suicides. Bulcsú sees that they are in fact caused by a costumed person pushing people in front of the trains.

What is the movie really about? Transition from communism to capitalism? Death? Modern Hungary? The characters on the subway?

Awards: Gold Hugo Award at Chicago International Film Festival

Rotten Tomatoes Review: 82% -
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/kontroll/

I really liked this movie. It's entirely filmed in Budapest's subway system, and the stations and trains are almost identical to the stations and trains I see every day. The photography is beautiful and the plot is original. Additionally, it's a very well known film, so it should be available in the USA. I highly recommend it!

Andrassy Avenue

Hungarian State Opera House

The Hungarian State Opera House was built between 1875 and 1884 and was funded by the Budapest government and Emporer Franz Joseph of the Austria-Hungary. It's famous for its good acoustics.

I wasn't able to get a great shot of the whole building because we were too close, but here's one from Wikipedia:

And here are my own close ups :)

The statues lining the roof are of famous Hungarians.

Close up of one of the statues lining the roof.

Beautiful entryway.

This may be my favorite picture of the building. 

Continuing our walk...

I'm not sure what these buildings are, but they are representative of the buildings beside the Opera House.

Weird statue #1

A book store!

 Mór Jókai (1825-1904) was a famous Hungarian writer. Below is a statue commemorating him.

We aren't sure who this statue is.

Walking towards the Chain Bridge...

Walking along the Danube on the Pest side, you can see Buda castle across the water.

Here's the bridge we were walking towards.

Zoomed in on Buda Castle.

Looking behind us at another bridge.

 József Eötvös (1813-1871) was a Hungarian writer and politician (statue below).

Not sure what this statue is for and we weren't able to get very close...

From the Chain Bridge

The first permanent bridge connecting Buda and Pest, opened in 1849.

Me and Statues :)

Dohány Street Synagogue

Last weekend, after visiting St. Stephen's Basilica, Tiffany and I explored the Dohány Street Synagogue. Unfortunately, we arrived after it closed, so we were unable to take a tour. We did get some very good photos of the outside, and we hope to return another weekend.

The Dohány Street Synagogue, also known as the Great Synagogue, seats around 3,000 people and is the largest synagogue in Europe and the fifth largest in the world. It was built between 1854 and 1859 in the Moorish revival style.

In the dark it's hard to see the red and tan colored brick work.

St. Stephen's Basilica

Walk Around the Parliament Area

Today Tiffany I walked around the blocks near my flat. It was cold (-5 C) and a bit icy, but very pretty.

Front door of our building.

Looking North on the Danube,  from Margit Hid (Margaret Bridge).
On the right side, Pest, on the the left, St. Margaret Island.

Flat Pictures

Entryway/Front Room

Front door, from the inside.

More Packing - Almost Ready to Go!

Looks like it'll be cold when I arrive!

Also, new glasses!