Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Boldog Uj Evet!

Wow! It is going to be 2009 in only a couple of hours here! Can you believe that! Time sure has flown. It's almost been half of the trip since I left the US! New Years here in Hungary is pretty similar to New Years in America, without the ball drop in New York on TV that is. They even have a similar pickled horseradish and lentils good luck tradition that is similar to my families' sauerkraut and black eyed peas! OK, have to go now, sorry that it is so short! Thank you everyone who has taken the time to write me here in Budapest!

Monday, December 29, 2008

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Boldog Karacsonyt Mindenki!

Sziasztok!

Wow, I cant believe that tomorrow is already Christmas! That's so exciting! Christmas here in Hungary is pretty similar to in the USA, but with some small differences. Like, the Christmas tree is set up on Christmas day, in secret, by one parent while the other takes the kids on a 'walk' so that it will be a surprise, and Christmas dinner always includes fish. Presents are also opened in the evening, not first thing in the morning.

Lots of things have been going on this week, most inconsequential. School is finally over for a couple of weeks. We had our last day on Saturday when we had a 'Christmas party' in our classroom and swapped secret Santa presents.

Yesterday and the day before we decorated the house with the Christmas ornaments! Not quite sure what I will do with the rest of the day though. We might start cooking! OK, hope everyone has a great holiday! Sziasztok!

-Vera

Saturday, December 20, 2008

More of my class.


These are the exchange students in budapest!





This is a movie of three of my classmates saying merry xmas!

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Train to Budapest


Pensive

AFS Szekesfehervar




Izzy's spooka in Hungary!




Boom Chika Boom reindeer ears





The Holy Hand Grenade






The USA and one guy from New Zealand.







Friday, December 12, 2008

Sziasztok! (pictures soon)

I am sorry that my posts are getting further and further between, but it is becoming harder to find good times to use the computer for more than a few minutes... Well anyway. This last week has been pretty good. The weekend was kind of an orientation from AFS, but not really. It was an optional weekend where we could go and live with temporary weekend host families and see more of the village of Szekesfehervar. I went and it was pretty cool. My weekend host family was nice. One of the girls is going to the US next year. She is very excited to become a cheerleader there (they don't have them in Hungary.) In Hungarian it is called pom pom lany. Literally pom pom girl. I thought that that was funny.

They also took me to see them practice synchronized swimming, which I have never seen before. Strange to see a load of Hungarian girls swimming in sync to High School Musical songs. We also went to the stables and the AFS Szent Miklaus party afterwards. The party, I guess, was to see more of the village, but the only thing that we really saw was this amazing clock tower that sung. I will upload it when I have a chance. (Unfortunately, I don't have access to any of the pictures because I am, again, in computer class at school right now.) So at the "party" every city chapter of Magyarorszag had to preform some kind of song or skit together. We had just heard about it so on the train we thought of our idea. You are never going to believe this Izzy, we make a Hungarian Christmas version of Boom Chika Boom (like from theater camp.) It was a Canadian girl who thought of it, but a German girl knew of it too! I would never have guessed that it was international! Cool. It was pretty great, then they made us sing Hull a Pelyes Feher Ho in Hungarian afterwards so that the host parents could understand what was going on.

There was a dance afterwards. Next day got the train back to Budapest where I had to pay full adult price by accident, which stunk. A whole 5 dollars. Oh well, that's OK. School all this week was pretty normal. I went with a couple of the other AFSers to see the Hungarian Music University (I can't remember the exact name right now) and then we got tickets to see one of the French boys in Budapest musical next week. It's the Nut Cracker, should be fun.

Christmas is making an appearance everywhere these days. My Magyar Irodalom teacher here in school has stapled chocolates all over her class room. They look nice, but all anyone in class can do is stare at the ceiling. Yum, chocolate... I got the Hersey's from the US, now that I mention it, and I brought a few of the to school and everyone loved them! Thanks Grandma and Grandpa T!

Yesterday I went all over Budapest in search of the cheapest Rubic's Cube that I could find. Found on for 800 ft at one point but I couldn't find it again when I went back to get it. Don't worry, 800 is a tiny number in forints. But now I have a Rubics Cube and I am determined to conquer it. OK, I guess that is about all right now. I am going to see my art teachers art exhibit today after AFS Hungarian lesson, then I don't know what. OK, hope everything in the USA is great!

-Vera

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Short post

Wow, so it's December already!

I have past the 100 day mark by a few days now. So much has been going on I don't even know where to start. Well I went to see Twilight at the movies. (we almost didn't make it in, so late) I also saw this really awesome eastern Asian museum with loads of cool things in it. Walked around Vaci Utca in the pouring rain. Went to the most awesome Xmas fair in the world! Got things in the mail. Went to school. Read. Went to the first of two chapter meetings this week. And sang a Hungarian Christmas song. Hungarians are big on Xmas here. So, short post, must be off. Sziasztok!

-Ve