Sziasztok!

Wow, tomorrow is Thanksgiving. I keep telling people here that and they are like.... what... One American tradition that most people haven't heard of. So, I have officially been inside of the parliament! We went with AFS on Sunday morning, had to stand out in the snow for an hour before they would let us in. This is the only picture that I managed to take. My camera decided to die on me, but the inside of the parliament is amazing. I think that they said there was something like 44 kilos of gold leaf all over the walls. Pretty cool.

I went over to the German girl's house yesterday. We looked at this German Harry Potter fan site. I am officially a German hp fan now. That's just awesome! YAY!

Last night I made a snow woman in the park. She is cool. Wonder if she survived until today. Ok, have a very happy Thanksgiving tomorrow! Sziasztok!

-Vera

Sziasztok!

This week was also a very good one. Lots to do and things to see!

The AFSers in Budapest have all discovered this amazing little cafe. We had class there on Thursday, how CBHS of us. Usually there isn't anyone in it but our group. We've met the guy who works there too, hes pretty cool. he has adopted the American name Gabe, though we don't know if he only does that when he sees a load of foreigners. Well anyway, I had Wednesday off from school for who knows what reason. Seriously, I haven't got a clue. But I went with the German girl to this awesome palacsinta house. It was kind of like a fast food place I guess, except they only serve palacsinta. But the place is directly across the river from the parliament so it has an amazing view. No pictures I'm afraid. It gets dark here at 4:30 anyway.

Yesterday was pretty cool too. After a fairly average day of school I went with a girl from my class with her little sisters class on an after school field trip. YAY! Well, they were completely flabbergasted to discover that I didn't speak Magyar, and I think they had a good time trying to get me to say 1 -10 correctly. They were super cute. So we went to this massive museum. It had this Christmas wreath exhibit which I found kind of odd, but interesting. The kids kept asking me to read to them what the cards said. Didn't work out quite like they had expected I don't think.

Today we made more fozalak and it SNOWED! Its the first time I have seen snow here! I think I might go and touch it now. Or maybe not. I don't know. Ok, hope everything is good.

Jo hetvegen!

-Ve

PS!

READ THIS!!!

Sorry, somethings wrong with blogger. The post right before this one can be displayed in its entirety by clicking on the title. More pictures and a text should appear. Hope it works.

-Vera

Snails in Trees

This last week has been so busy, something most nights and after school. I guess that that is a good thing though.

Hetfo- Went to some cute little coffee shop in the Oktogon then stood around looking at all of the trains.

Kedd- Went on a wild goose chase through the market with a girl from school trying to find a lemon juicer with a handle. I know, right.

Szerda- I met the girl from Germany and a boy from Hong Kong at Moskva ter and we set out to find the Lions at Lanc Hid (Chain Bridge.) We walked along the Danube for about half an hour before we realised that we were going the wrong way. But that was fine. The Danube is so cool right now. It was all foggy and awesome. We did finally find the lions though (aren't you happy Izzy?) And yes I realise that I have (very) red eye in that picture. Afterwards we were standing at the metro stop and decided to try the roasted chestnuts that the little stall was selling. They were ok. First time for everything.

Csuturtok- Went to MOM park and then my first Hungarian class in about a month. We started the past tense.

Pentek- Friday was very interesting. I met some of the other AFSers after school and we went to this cafe where we ran into more exchanges from the US. They were from a couple different Rotary clubs I think, but that was cool. Then we went to this 'Blind Museum.' It was really interesting. The Hungarian tour guides led us around these rooms that were pitch black, not so much as a distant outline. There were rooms like kitchens, markets, streets, rain forests. By the end we could all tell who was standing in front of us by what their hair felt like. I still wonder what the rooms we like. The very last room was an imitation of a cafe. We could order something if we liked and try not to drop it. I was sitting on a couch with a couple of other girls when we realised that there was a fourth sitting between us and she wasn't talking. At first we thought she just didn't want to. But after a few minutes we began to really wonder why she wouldn't talk to us. We couldn't see her so we didn't know what was going on at all. When we finally tried to tell someone the whole place went quiet and one of the tour guides came in the dark and took her back outside. She had fainted and was fine in a minute, but it was kind of freaky. We had no idea that anything was wrong. Kind of makes you appreciate that you have eyes.

Szombat- We went to Szekesfehervar again. Made more tok soup. They tried to explain why it wasn't actually soup though. And it's not actually a stew. Apparently it is a Fozalak. Something that we do not have a word for in English. Kind of a thin vegetable stew with something else I don't know. Well anyway, don't call it leves, soup, or you will be corrected. Also, did you know that snails live in trees here? That was like, wow.

Vasarnap (today)- Not much today. I was going to go to this Museum that I keep seeing signs for everywhere for. It closes today, but I don't think I can make myself. Anyways, it might come to the US sometime. This afternoon Mira and I are going shopping I think. I don't know yet. So, that is my all so exciting week. Hope yours was fun! Sziasztok!

-Vera

This is a picture of a metro stop.

In Deak ter.
Paprika.

Kutyak.

Sziasztok!

So the last week has been pretty normal. Well, as normal as it can be here. I got to go to the massive library again with some people from school. We tried to get a library card for me, but apparently I would have to bring my real parent all of the way from the USA to the library to sign the form. And basically that can not happen. But I got to check a book out on my friends card so it was good.

Speaking of books in the library, it is so fascinating to see all of these familiar books written in Hungarian. The Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, Jane Austin books, and a load of books based on American movies.

After we vacated the library we went to this little shop full of hand made jewelry and wood figurines. It reminded me so much of Mexicali Blues! I could have spent all day in there! Apparently the girl I was with knows the owner though, so I found myself being wholly welcomed in and shown around and such. He came up to me with this wooden basket of little funny string men dangling from a cell phone string and got me to understand that I should take one. Well anyway, I am calling him Bence ( pronounced Ben-ts-e... ) and he is purple. I quite like it. So many notable characters here.

So a couple of days ago was the monthly chapter meeting where everyone in the Budapest chapter gathers in some public place and just talks. It was pretty good, well, the last hour of it was. For I spent the beginning half wandering aimlessly around the streets of Budapest with an Italian and a German. It was fairly funny. We had to ask for directions from these Hungarians. I don't think that they could believe that we were all from different countries, totally befuddled them. But we got there in the end and it was fine.

Obama for President!

I got up very early today, it is about 6:30 now, to watch the US news or Obama being elected. I got to see his acceptance speech! Its so amazing!

In other exiting news going on in the US, I have a new cousin!

I kind of wish I could be there in the US, just for today, to see everything that is going on. But I will go to school here instead and try to tell everyone that Barack (pronounced Buratsk, 'barack' in Hungarian means peach, there is a whole peach campaign here) Obama won the election.

Halloween here was uneventful, I did get to see some little Hungarian trick or treaters though, I guess the idea has caught on a bit here. I did have 'tok' soup though, very good. 'Tok' means pumpkin, but it was more or a squash. I was in Szekesfehervar at the time.

Ok, I am going to get ready for school now!

-Ve