Hungarian 101: Crash Course Edition

Days 5-8 are a blur of information; barely separating, the continuous stream of new information make me feel as if I have been in Budapest for weeks when in reality I haven't even completed my first.  Why? You may ask, How can sight seeing give you that much sensory overload? Erika, don't be such an exaggerator. Ha! Well let me tell you!

First off, I have NOT been only sightseeing.  I have literally (and by literally, I mean figuratively) collided with Budapest.  After our dream world on St. Stephen's day, our endearing program director arranged an "Amazing Race: Budapest Edition."  Split up into groups of three and equipped with nothing but a map and three addresses, we set out with the fear(lessness) of Spanish conquistadors and braved our quest to conquer Budapest's public transportation system and return with the spoils of pictures taken in front of our three given destinations.

Karl Marx statue located in Corvinus University, one of the universities we will be attending this semester.

My teammates and I (John Michael and Kellen) infront of the Japanese Gardens on Margit Island.

My group came in second, but, in our defense we beat the winning group by a minute! ...but...we posted the pictures in the wrong facebook group. whoops :)

Even thought we hiked around Budapest in the 100 degree weather, I was still thankful for the excursion because we had to figure out the transportation system in small groups.  After the "Race," I felt confident that I would be able to navigate the city using the map. I was no longer wary of the metro that lacked English announcements.  Connecting trams, busses, and metros to arrive at a destination came with pleasantly surprising ease.  Oh, the possibilities that opened up after that sweltering, tiring race!  Thanks for that Feenie! :)

Interesting side note:  my group has come up with the most endearing nick names for our program directors. None of which we say to their faces, but endearing none the less.  Our professor's husband, Bernard Feenstra, has become:
- Berns
 -Bern
 -but most affectionately
                                         Bernie.

While Cheryl Feenstra is now referred to as:
-Sher
-Shirley (not sure about the etymology of that one)
-and my personal favorite
                                          Feenie.

So, after a few days our beloved directors will always endearingly be known as Bernie and Feenie in my mind.

Just a happy picture of a gelato sign to break up the word monotony.

      The next collision I had with Budapest was my first ever Hungarian language course.  Every morning I drag myself out of bed and climb three flights of stairs to be bombarded with 100's of new vocabulary words that are composed of sounds new to my alphabet.  It is impossible to retain all of the information we are given, but our enthusiastic Hungarian professor, Kata, has starry-eyed (read: ridiculously unrealistic) high hopes for our ability to retain and understand the Hungarian language. (star=csillag pronounced chi-log...kind of)

details.

       For two and a half hours we learn the most confusing language ever that has the uncanny ability to be unlike any language I have ever been exposed to.  Every day we have a quiz from 30 words she assigns us to memorize, and by words I mean Hungarian phrases that contain at least 5 words.  However, I now know a few basic phrases, the alphabet, and am able to read and pronounce (sort of) Hungarian words.  All in all, I have a love/hate relationship with Hungarian class.

       

         Okay, Okay, so my collision with Budapest has truly been anything but hard. Actually its been absolutely stupendous! The perks of only having class from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm are abundant. We break loose from Hungarian class and explore the city!  Seeking refreshment after a week of being unable to escape the suffocating heat,  about 10 of us went to Margit Island and went to a HUGE water park after our first day of Hungarian class!  The water park, Palatinus Strand, had four pools varying in function and temperature. No matter your aquatic desire, Palatinus Strand has a pool for you; it boasts a sports pool, a large (LARGE) hot tub, a cooler pool with a whirlpool-like lazy river in the middle, an even cooler pool abundant in fountains, and--wait for it--a pool with FIVE WATER SLIDES! Wait, it gets even better, we got a 50% student discount! We bought this amazing experience for the equivalent of $7.00. Could it get any better?

I did not take a picture of this place, but I snagged some from google images so that you could "get the picture." (sorry for the joke.)

 



















Seriously, none of the pictures could even fit in the water slides.  I definitely recommend this place.







Most often, I have been exploring Budapest through its abundant cafes.  After lunch I set out with a group of friends and we walk the streets looking for a cafe.  I adore this ritual; all throughout Hungarian class, it's all I can think about.  "30 minutes until I can leave this place and sit on the sidewalk at a cute little table drinking a 'kave'." I take pictures of the food, attempt to order in Hungarian, and watch the passerby; I love these hours of my day.

My favorite cafe I have found, Hybrid Art and Kave, is located a little north of a main tram stop, Kalvin ter, off the 47 line.  It is down a street called Brody Sandor u.

Why is it my favorite?

It is off the main street so it is more peaceful and quiet; the calmness is a welcomed refresher from the hustle and bustle.  While Hybrid is Hungarian, it also has English translations on its menu and the waitresses understand you.  Also, it has working WiFi and a fair amount of seating outside with even more tables and chairs inside.  THE INSIDE: is amazing, it has art displayed all over the white walls creating a rustic modern look, a cement winding staircase leads to the open second floor, the second floor has a raised seating area covered in....wait what am I doing? Why don't I just show you?

Yes. That is Tiramisu. Also known as Divine

Friends Rachel and Taylor.  We stick out as
Americans like a sore thumb with our laptops
and inability to refrain from laughing.

The street has a tucked away feel accompanied by the calm courtyard of a neighboring museum.
 

Unfortunately I did not get a picture of the staircase...I was probably too busy looking at it.  I'll try to remember next time :)







As my first week of living in Hungary concludes, I look forward to colliding with the culture, people, art, and beauty of the city even more. I'm not sure about the language, but I'll keep giving it a try.  I cannot wait to see what this semester has in store for me. I don't know what to expect, I know that it's going to be an adventure.

Soundtracks on Every Street

This week has been a whirlwind of adventure. Is it possible to sum up all that I have seen and experienced in the past 5 days?  Even uploading pictures doesn't help.  You cannot hear the sounds, smell combinations of city, street, people, and cuisine.  You cannot feel the sweltering, suffocating heat of the tram, or understand the absurdity of trying to read lips that form consonants you have never even heard before.  As I stare at this computer screen, I want nothing more than to slam it shut and never have to try and write a blog post again.  The task of summing up an experience that fully consumes all five sentences daunts me. But, nevertheless, I will dive right on in and bring you into my experience as best I can.

First I will start with this picture:

Can you see my dilemma here? How can I explain to you the immense size and grandeur of St. Stephen's Cathedral when I can't even fit it in a camera? Trying to see everything and soak it in effectively describes this past week.

Monday, August 20 started off with Hungary's huge holiday, St. Stephen's Day. I would describe it as Hungary's "4th of July."  St. Stephen was Hungary's first king who also made Christianity the official religion of the state.  On this day,  Budapest is filled with tourists and Hungarians alike.  As the day goes on, the city fills up until it seems it is bursting at the seams with people, food, music, and other festivities. There are people lounging in the park,  eating at cafe's, gobbling up the edible goodness offered by the many street vendors taking advantage of the crowds.  Budapest becomes one thorough celebration. Speakers appear everywhere; from every cafe, every street corner, every stage music is blaring, providing a soundtrack for every celebrator's experience.  

My day consisted of exploring the city with my group, going to a museum solely for the luxury of air conditioning and being pleasantly surprised by the exhibit of Hungarian folk culture,  watching the St. Stephen's Parade (which was disarmingly solemn...but we did get to see St. Stephen's alleged hand!)

Here is a snapshot of one section of the parade. We were told later that the parade celebrates religion but is also full of Hungarian pride.  Our professor said the song they sing repeats a plea to God to show compassion on them because they are a people who has suffered enough for generation to come... so that explains why it was so solemn!

annnd there you have it!  The adorned hand of St. Stephen.  It is actually really gross looking and slightly creepy, but nonetheless, a relic. 

Then...FIREWORKS! After the sun goes down, everyone flows to the Danube to watch the holiday's fireworks shoot up over two bridges that connect Buda and Pest.  The city lights, fireworks, and reflections on the river make for a beautiful show.  Everyone flocks to the street vendors for food and beer before the show.  With my amazing luck, I got a FREE BEER because, as a typical foreigner, I didn't have small enough coins to pay for it.  Now, how does that happen!? I'm still confused.

Basically, the day consisted of AN OBSCENE amount of WALKING!!  It's ridiculous how much we walked! Oh well, that just means I can have another scoop of gelato ;)

I enjoyed myself the most while I was walking along the Danube at dusk.  My group was busy trying to find a place to eat so I trailed along behind them looking at the setting sun reflecting off the river and the windows of the riverfront buildings.  Even though the city was so busy with more people in one place than I have ever seen,  I felt surprisingly peaceful.  I was in my own little world enjoying the mind-blowing beauty of Budapest and it hit me that I was actually here, that I get to enjoy this view everyday.  As I walked along the Danube at dusk on St. Stephen's day, I said a prayer of thanks and wonder for how incredibly blessed I am.

As I look back at what I have written, I'm even more amazed at all that I have experienced. Cathedrals, no-smile parades, bridges, fireworks, and accidental free beer.  I've decided I'm going to break up the past week into multiple posts so that I don't overwhelm myself...or you. :)


Also, the pictures of the parade and fireworks were provided from my new friend and roommate, Katie.  Check out her blog: http://katieishungryforhungary.blogspot.com

Seriously!? I get to live here!?

The title above was the exact words that entered my mind about 50 times as I road the tram this afternoon into Budapest.  It was absolutely breathtaking and unbelievable! Don't believe me? Look below.

View of Parliament. Breathtaking.

Food and candy sold by street vendors.  Please candy man, do you have to tempt me?

St. Matthew's Cathedral.
Also shown to the left and below.

The Chain Bridge.  Connecting Buda and Pest.
So beautiful to walk over.

 

St. Stephen's Cathedral.  St. Stephen's hand supposedly resides here.  The huge holiday tomorrow commemorates this saint.

See? Told you it was beautiful!  And...WHAT!? I actually get to be here for FOUR MONTHS!! Ridiculous. I couldn't stop staring and taking pictures; I looked like a total tourist.  Oh well, I figure at least the first week I'm here I can be tourist instead of a resident...right?  Anyways I took some super touristy pictures as well.

Overlooking Parliament and the Danube from the view point. 

Ronald Reagan even made it to Budapest! He was kind enough to hold my hand long enough for the picture.

After we looked over the city from the Buda side, we crossed over the Chain Bridge you saw above to the Buda side.  The Chain Bridge, which is a pedestrian bridge, was my favorite walk. Exquisitely carved lions boarder the entrances and look over the pedestrians from above as well.  On the Buda side we walked through the city looking at all the shops.  We passed the US Embassy (I looked for Joe just in case:)) and ended up by St. Stephen's Cathedral (which you also saw above) before we had dinner at my prof's apartment.  On the way, we passed some adorable children playing in a fountain near the Embassy.

We ended the night by walking down a pedestrian street and all getting a glass of wine or beer and found our own way back to our dorm BY OURSELVES! It was super easy and convenient; we only had one tram ride with no transfers. We got to the dorm before midnight because we want to rest up for all the festivities of St. Stephen's Day tomorrow; it should be an adventure! 

Fun Fact: I learned today that Calvin College is third in the nation for offering the most study abroad programs.  Can you believe that!? I go there AND I'm taking advantage of it!

First official day of the semester: MY ARRIVAL IN BUDAPEST

As I write to you, I am currently writing on my bed, in a new room, in a new dorm, in a new city and country--BUDAPEST, HUNGARY!  I can't even describe how ecstatic I am.  After the sleepless hours of a day long travel I am now fed, showered, and just about to be rested.

We flew from Grand Rapids to Detroit, from Detroit to Amsterdam overnight, and then from Amsterdam to Budapest.  The long trip went without any major mishaps, however we did have one minor wrinkle in Amsterdam.  One of the guys on our trip had packed all of his rock climbing gear in his carry on, (I know what you're thinking, and I agree. I might be in for a more extreme semester than I thought! Seriously!? Rock climbing gear in a carry on?  Pshh and I think its extreme when I remember to pack snacks! Kidding...almost) and for some reason the Dutch security people thought he would hang someone with the rope or punch them with his carabiners...I'm not sure.  So he had to check the carry on and go through security AGAIN.  We were scared this would end badly, but an hour later we had our whole group in tow and boarding the flight to Budapest.

Side note: On a 90 degree August day, with no air conditioning (at least insufficient) Amsterdam decided to change our gate three times.  I was sweating on TOP of only having one hour of sleep. I needn't say more, but that was more of a wrinkle to me than extreme rock climber's carry on.

Some of the group after we FINALLY landed in Budapest.

After we arrived in Budapest, we all climbed aboard an airport shuttle that drove us to our dorm.  The drive didn't go through the city, so we didn't get that much of a taste of Budapest today.

snapshot of our shuttle bus

We are living in the southern part of Budapest on the Buda side where it is mostly residential. The dorm is decent, much more than I expected! I'm sharing a pod room with 7 other girls so it should be really fun!  We're all determined to decorate it, and I can't wait!

After we lugged in our bags, we unpacked a little and then went out to eat at the closest restaurant.  Honestly, I was too tired and delirious to even notice the name or care about taking pictures.  I actually fell asleep at the table after we had eaten, 24 hours without sleeping just isn't my thing. :)

Here is a little taste of our room.  It's decent. I can post more pictures later.

Tomorrow we are going through dorm orientation and settling into our living space a little more.  After that, we get to go shopping and exploring!  Everyone is exhausted but anxious with the excitement of getting to live here!

Preparation H

I know, the title might throw you off, but don't worry--I am NOT talking about the that little tube people sneak into their grocery carts-- I am talking about operation "preparing for a semester abroad in Hungary."  And I thought "Preparation H" had a much better ring to it than that long, boring, predictable phrase...okay, fine, you caught me- I thought it was pretty clever and couldn't resist. My mom thought it was funny anyways.  I won't get into whether or not that is a reliable resource, I will just dive right into Preparation H.

Really, my preparation for studying abroad in Hungary started two years ago when I was a sophomore.  I had known I wanted to do a semester program sometime in my college career, and after I spent January 2011 in Turkey, I knew I wanted to spend that semester abroad.  So the main things I did my sophomore year were choosing which semester I would travel, researching off-campus programs to figure out my favorite location, and reading the course catalogue to make sure the off-campus semester wouldn't interview with any classes.  I made sure I took the needed classes that were only offered during fall semester during my junior fall semester. Advice: If you are thinking about doing a semester abroad, definitely map out your four year course load, check whether classes are offered during spring or fall (or during odd or even years), and make sure you enroll in classes at the right time.  I personally know two people who didn't think to map out their spring and fall courses so they had pass up studying abroad because ONE required class made them stay on-campus or they wouldn't graduate on time.

My junior year, I spent the year applying and tending to the small details.  This mostly took place during last semester (spring semester).  I found it very helpful to attend all of the information meetings so that I could meet the program director and get acquainted with all the other students interested.

My preparation for spending a semester in Budapest, Hungary I am sad to say, has been quite measly.  I had high hopes of doing research upon research.  I wanted to nail down and plan places I wished to travel to on the weekends, read up on Hungary,  pack a month early so I could fine tune my suitcase as August 17 drew closer and buy anything I needed.  But of course,  I was a little more last minute than planned.

Besides packing all my clothes for two seasons in one 48 lb. bag,  I did buy Hungarian and Eastern European travel guides.  I CAN'T WAIT to use them.   If you want to "be in the moment" with me, and live out my Hungary packing process, here is a little peak.  As you can see, it was very organized and calculated.  ...kidding, kidding. Obviously I can see that it's a mess!

Further showing my last minute preparation,  I'm finishing up this blog post on my bed in my new home in Hungary!  ...but just so I can have another title I'll write another post about traveling here.