Zsúzsi's Paprika Cheese Spread

SZERBUSZ!

I am in Szekesfehervar again right now, I spent the night here. I got to ride here on a seriously cheap train, I think that it came to about 3 dollars. You never see that in the US, well, you hardly ever see people-carrying trains in the US. It was just me and my host dad, Mira is in school this week. We sat behind this British family with awesome accents. The little boy played a Star Wars card game most of the way. Isn't it strange how some things are universal in people?

Well, we got here and I went out into the yard and ripped out all of the paprika plants in the garden. They are something fierce, paprika plants. But I felt very accomplished. Then we found this huge bag of old yarn in the attic that no one's seen for years, so guess what Ive been doing? Knitting! YAY! I'm about half way done with one mitten right now, I hope that it actually comes out looking ok. Its blue.

This morning my host dad left for Budapest again so I am with Mira's aunt and grandpa until Saturday. This is both a good thing and very complicated thing. Mira's grandpa and aunt are much more traditional Hungarians, as far as I can tell. It's awesome to see it all. Lots of paprika too, lots. And in everything.

This is what I had for breakfast, I suggest that you try it.

Zsúzsi's Paprika Cheese Spread

Bagged cottage cheese
Lots of paprika
Lots of Onion
Lots of Salt
Pepper
Kifli, Hungarian bread roll, or just a piece of slightly stale bread.

Stir - (Eat with fork not on top of bread if you want to be traditional)

It was pretty good. There might have been other things in it that I couldn't tell. Maybe some lemon juice.

Today I really should do some homework. Hum. Ok, I hope that everything is great in the US and that Pumpkin is born safe and sound!

Happy Halloween!

-Ve

Nearly Halloween!

Sziastok!

Its finally officially fall! Which is very exciting. All of the trees are nice colors and its comfortable to go outside with a coat!

So Halloween here is basically non existent, unless you count the 'Claires' like stores and MATCH shops that sell little plastic pumpkin bracelets and little witches made of hay. They do have a kind of death remembrance day on the first of November though. Everyone who has had family members who've died, goes to the cemeteries and give them flowers.

Another holiday, already passed, is the 1956 revolution day. At school the grade below us put on a play about it. Margit Hid was all decked out in flags, it was so pretty.

Though there is no real Halloween here, I couldn't not get a pumpkin like object to celebrate, some things just can't be let go. I went to a giant market and found that little squash. I then proceeded to get completely and utterly lost in some tourist district. I still don't have any idea where I was. I think maybe I went out the back of the market and just kept going, away from Kalvin Ter. I realised there was something wrong when i reached the Duna and saw Gellert Hill looming at me from the other side. The market isn't anywhere near Gellert Hill. Oh, well. It was quite interesting though. Perhaps I will someday develop a sense of direction. Ok, Happy Halloween!

-Ve

It is starting to really feel like fall here now. All of the trees are yellow, and when I get off of the bus I can smell fall. Its wonderful.

Today our class went to the National Museum steps and took loads of pictures. It was pretty fun. Later I am going to a photo showing with some other people from AFS. Should be cool.

So another week has gone. This one has been pretty good, but I can't remember where I left off last time so I'm just going to start with the weekend.

We went to this massive old castle on Saturday. From what I could get lots of queens lived there once. Then I went with Mira to the stables and watched her ride for a while. Look down and you will find a two second clip.

Then Sunday we cleaned a lot and I did lots of random things.

Hetfo was the start of S. Gy. Alb. Het at our school. We had to organise loads of game for the grade under us to play after school. The actual playing of the games was very strange, like a Casco Bay event gone very, very, very.......um..... strange. But it was fun. And hysterical.

Yesterday, kedd, I went to a Hungarian poetry reading after school. It was pretty good. They had me read a Shakespeare verse in English after the Hungarian version because they wanted to know what it was like in the original form. We got tea in little plastic cups too.

Oh yeah, some of these pictures are from last week when I decided to go exploring the castle district. Only problem was, I never figured out how to get into it. The castle district is this small hill that is all buildings on the outer. I could see the castles, buildings, and stairways. I just never figured out how to get in. I still got to see loads of cool things though. Almost everything from that section of my travel book! YAY!

Tomorrow is another AFS lesson, and Friday I think that I am going to some kind of photo thing. But I'm not really sure what that is entirely. Should be an adventure! Ok, Sziastok!

After the Arrival Orientation

So this weekend was the after the arrival orientation. It was pretty good. Got the HEV to some remote area of Budapest with a group of others, and spent the next day and a half stuck in a hotel. The HEV is awesome, its a train that goes all over Budapest but I can use my monthly pass on it. Which means its basically free for me to go anywhere that I want to in Budapest

because AFS pays for the ticket.

The rest of the weekend was pretty good. Met loads of new people. Tried to understand the people who spoke French, tried to translate 'Garlic' into German, and played pass with a stress ball. Apart from that the weekend was pretty quite. And school started again yesterday.

Yeah, one of the weird things that is different about the schools here is that when a teacher is absent, you don't have class. Only rarley are there real substitutes. Which means that because there is a plauge going arouns and everyone is ill, I did not have to first lesson Monday and today. I don't really know if thats a good thing though. I missed drawing. But I got to sleep:)!

I am going to go to the Castle District and walk around sometime this week I hope. Must take more Matyas pictures. Hope all is well!

-Veronica

A allant kert, az egy maci! nagyon cuki serintem!