Well, weren’t those last couple of posts a tad too text heavy? For your enjoyment, here’s a video of the countdown from New Year’s at Oktogon! Expect some pictures to come soon to finish off 2009!

Note to self: In Hungary, words that would otherwise appear to be harmless may not actually be the case. I was teaching my 1st graders foods the other week, and thought I was doing them a favor by highlighting some “all-american favorites” like hamburgers and FRENCH FRIES (not chips). When I came to a picture of delicious chocolate chip cookies and said, “Cookie,” I couldn’t help but find myself bewildered by their giggles. I let it go, as they’ve laughed at other words in the past.

It wasn’t until James was staying with that I recanted this story to him.

James: Jake, you didn’t.

Jake: What’s the big deal?

James: You mean you don’t know what that means? Hidas, you’re kidding, right?

Jake: No…

James: In Hungarian, a “cookie” is equivalent to a weiner (As in a name little kid’s call one another).

Jake: NO WAY!

JAMES: WAY, HIDAS. WAY!

And now I’ve learned that one man’s cookie is another man’s, er, weiner.

Lesson learned…

UPDATE: I was reminded by my colleague at school that his story earlier in the year was probably more funny than mine. He was talking about the cookie monster. Harmless, right?

Most of you who read this blog know how much of a bummer our flight coming home was. As short as our trip was, losing two days was not an ideal situation due to weather circumstances. Regardless, it was nice to be home for a couple days.

Oftentimes I am asked my thoughts on which country I prefer, or what’s different about the two, and it’s hard to give an answer. Most people barely know where Hungary is, let alone that it even exists, but here we are living it. It was hard at first to be at home, but I wouldn’t say that it was reverse culture shock. It was just weird to be around English, to have a car to drive, and to know where I’m going. It was great to see friends, to enjoy food, and to be in my own bed for a few days; it’s too bad it was so short lived.

Aside from two entirely different languages, I think the biggest difference, like any other place, is the lifestyle. America is a fast society, and things move without haste. Going out for a bite doesn’t take more than an hour (unless you want it to), and you don’t feel like your rushed. Here in Hungary, taking your time is essential to enjoy your meal, and you won’t even get your check unless you ask for it. This is an aspect that I actually prefer, given I have the time to relax while I eat.

When asked what I was looking forward to with going home, it was mostly the food. Sure, I wanted to see my family and friends, but there’s nothing like an In-n-Out Burger to end a night. There’s plenty of food that I wish I had enjoyed, but I’m at least glad I got to eat some of it before coming back. I did manage to bring Reese’s here, so that should hold me over until somebody sends me a care package!

It was nice coming back just in time for New Year’s Eve, as it was worth experiencing in another country. Amanda and Jamie had already been here for a day, and I flew out the next day. I took Lufthansa, which I have to say I was really pleased. Not only did they happily serve complimentary alcoholic beverages, but also I had salmon for dinner and a brownie with whipped cream for dessert! I would definitely recommend Lufthansa to anyone else, especially those considering a trip to Budapest. While Frankfurt was a little confusing, I managed just fine.

Coming back to school wasn’t easy. After a nice break, who wants to have to wake up early in the morning to teach, of all things! On top of that, who wants to learn?! Not the kids, that’s for sure. The kids were rambunctious, I was scatterbrained, and it was definitely a challenge to get back into the swing of things. Nonetheless, I think the year is off to a good start.

Jamie’s twin sister, Amanda, has been hanging out since New Years, and they have definitely covered a lot of ground in the city. I’ve gone several of their adventures, but they have taken advantage of every day. They also made it to Paris for a weekend, which sounded like a tre magnifique time! I had a fellow teacher, James, stay for his last weekend in Hungary, and we trekked around as well. I guess what this means is that even though we’ve gone back to work here, we became tourists once again. From a cave church (that had a wedding going on) to a Calvinist exhibit to a giant platter of meat to being ripped off at another restaurant to having a shot of palinka at the bar across the street, I’d say it was a pretty fun weekend.

On Thursday, Jamie and I joined fellow teacher Betsy to see Romeo and Juliet at the Opera. It was our first visit to the Operahaz, but what a magnificent building. Our seats were on the balcony edge, however we were in the far corner of the balcony! While we had an obstructed view by a spotlight, at least we could lean forward and see some of the stage. It was a ballet, so no Hungarian translations required!

For most of the week, there’s been a bus strike in Budapest. While our trolleybus is (fortunately running), many other lines around the city are at a halt. Jamie came to school with me Friday since she couldn’t get to her far, far away school. It was nice having her see me teach and get her opinions on both my school and my style. Maybe one of these days I’ll be able to visit her at her schools, too! She was very jealous that it takes about 11 minutes to get to school, compared to her 1.5 hour commute!

Over the weekend, we also saw Vera, who was in town with her 5-month, Alex. It’s amazing to think that I had family halfway across the world that I knew little to nothing about, and I’m glad that I’m slowly getting to know them. Jamie held Alex for most of the visit, but was smart enough to hand him back before he spit up all over himself and the couch! We also brought Oreos, which Eszter’s three boys LOVED!

Other fellow teachers Judy and Roland invited us over for gulyas that they made, and it was amazing! Except for the fact that I scalded my tongue on a piece of beef, we were blown away by the meal! We managed to finish off a bottle of white wine, red wine, and two bottles of tokaj. I suppose we’re lucky we got away with no more than headaches in the morning! Jamie and I also baked Linzer cookies, which have jam in the middle. I have to say that they came out great, despite our original worries about a crumbly dough mixture. Thanks, Iby, for that Hungarian cookbook!

To top off the weekend before school, we went to see Avatar 3-D. Not only was it in English, but there were NO Hungarian subtitles to sift through. Not that I don’t mind trying to decipher them, but it was definitely a trip to be an audience and hear so much English all around. If you haven’t seen the movie, do yourself a favor and see it before it leaves the theater. On that big screen and in 3-D make it well worth the nearly 3 hours of sitting there.

And we’re off to survive another week of school…

Talk about a failing grade! It’s as if I dropped off the planet and forgot that I was blogging for one or two people out there to read and enjoy. You’d think I’d have plenty of time to sit at a computer and write (read: I’m too lazy), but for some reason I find myself resisting the need to get to work. The same goes for my own scriptwriting, which I really need to get a move on if I intend to take it somewhere.

So instead of going into details about everything Jamie and I have done, I’ll provide the class notes of the end of 2009 in as close to a chronological order as possible:

November 11, 2009 – November 16, 2009

My grandmother’s cousin, Paul, stopped by Budapest to visit me and Jamie before continuing his travels elsewhere. Here’s the highlights of his visit:

• Celebrated 3 years with Jamie, which was also Szent Marton’s Day in Hungary
• Enjoyed dinner with Paul, my grandmother’s cousin who was visiting from New York, at an Italian restaurant on Vaci Utca (aka Tourist Avenue)
• Ate dinner at Baraka, which may or may not be the #1 restaurant in Budapest (according to Zagat)
• Rented a car and drove to Debrecen to visit where much of my family is from, including Paul and my grandma
• Learned how to reverse in the rental car only after Jamie and Paul pushed it backwards for a while
• Stopped in Puspokladany, the small village/town my dad is from. Found no remnants of his past
• Explored Debrecen with Paul, retracing history by visiting his house, where my grandma’s house was, among other spots
• Stayed at the Arany Bika Hotel. Although very well-known in Hungary, it seems as like it’s age is really showing
• Enjoyed a shot of Unicum with a Professor Emeritus of the University of Debrecen
• Met a relative I never knew existed, who spoke no English, and who I’ll probably never see again
• Stopped in the Hortobagy to eat some pretty bad pizza
• Visited the Great Synagogue in Budapest, which is definitely a must for visitors! Though I knew this was the ghetto during World War II, I didn’t realize that so many people are buried in the courtyard there. Tombstones rest around the courtyard, naming those believed to have died there. As you walk further back, there is a tree with metal leaves, each engraved with the name of someone lost during the Holocaust

November  21, 2009 – November 22, 2009

Jamie and I have been alternating weeks of being sick. This weekend, it was me. Too bad we were both tired of being sick, and we forced ourselves to visit fellow teachers Anna and Burke, who are teaching in Szeged. Just by coincidence, other fellow teachers Betsy and Emily were also in Szeged that weekend, so it turned out to be a CETP/Szeged party! Here’s all of the fun:

• Walked around town, exploring outdoor markets and a beautiful downtown
• Ate lunch at a British pub that had some delicious gulyas
• Visited a church that, though old in appearance, must’ve been built in the 70s. It was as if we were walking around a giant Easter Egg
• Attached by a Hungarian guy after leaving a bar
• Visited the Pick Szalami Museum, with some of the best salami around
• Enjoyed some blueberry palinka that Jamie brought back from Transylvania
• Checked out a giant Tesco that puts the one in Budapest to shame

Now, which one of those points struck you as odd? If you chose #3, the hippie church, I’m sorry to say that you’re wrong. However, #4 is in fact the correct answer, and I’d like to go into more detail as this has been the worst experience here thus far.

What we thought was a drunk local asking about a pub or telling us about a cool watering hole was actually yelling at us for being American. We had a Hungarian acquaintance of Anna and Burke’s with us; unfortunately for us, his desire to be American prevented him from translating the majority of what was said. Once the guy said that he had a knife, the Ameri-garian friend spoke up and we all split up. Eventually, I got punched in the shoulder, the Ameri-garian friend got kicked in the butt, and Burke got punched in the face. Burke jetted to safety near an ATM, claiming it to be the safest place due to the likelihood of a camera capturing everything (so be careful what you do there). The guy left with someone else who was probably waiting for a fight so he could jump in and cause more trouble.

Burke called the police, much to Ameri-garian’s dismay, and they came…20 minutes later. The first words out of their mouth were, “You’re in Hungary, speak Hungarian.” That’s when the Ameri-garian translated as we wish he had done during the altercation. While one cop smoked a cigarette, the other rolled his eyes. We later found out a police report was never filed. Later that night, after Jamie and I slept, the Ameri-garian told Burke and Anna that the guy threatened to stab Burke in the knife if he ever sees his “mop-haired head” again downtown. Unfortunately for them, downtown is where it’s all about in Szeged.

Now, for this and other reasons, Burke and Anna are moving back home. While this has been the lowest point of our time here, I have not allowed myself to define the rest of the country or the people. It is unfortunate that such hatred can be found here, but it’s true that this could happen anywhere these days. We tried to walk away and not cause any trouble, but the guy was obviously looking to start something with us, and he did. I wish Burke and Anna the best of luck, and look forward to crossing their paths another day!

Oh, wait…we crossed paths the following weekend!

November 26, 2009 – November 29, 2009 (aka Thanksgiving weekend)

Thanksgiving isn’t an observed holiday here in Hungary (for obvious reasons), but CETP ensures we receive 5 days off to be used for such occasions. Jamie and I decided to go to Belgium with Anna and Burke and enjoy a most unusual Thanksgiving! And here’s the rundown:

• Landed in Brussels Thursday night, and made our way to Bruges. Despite being confused by all the French (where’s Hungarian when you need it?), we managed to find a train that would take us to our destination
• Bruges hotel: quadroom with shared bathroom/shower (80 euros/night). It wasn’t bad, but the breakfast definitely paid off. The hotel was located right near the train station, and only a five-minute walk took us into the heart of Bruges.
• Enjoyed pommes frites, which are some of the best French fries…ever
• Climbed the bell tower, which did not look the same as in “In Bruges”
• Touched the blood of Christ
• Drank some Belgian beers
• Enjoyed speculoos for breakfast
• Brussels: Stayed at an amazing apartment (85 euros/night). What we thought would be a dingy two-bedroom place was actually 3 bedrooms, upstairs and downstairs, full kitchen, hard wood floors, and several bathrooms. It’s a shame we were only there for 1 night!
• Walked around the Christmas Market…our first in Europe!
• Enjoyed hot wine and pommes frites
• Rode a Ferris wheel
• Saw the mannekin pis statue…little pissing boy
• Had a great Thanksgiving!

While it wasn’t the American Thanksgiving we were used to, we definitely made the best of our time by going to a country we wouldn’t otherwise visit. The food was great, the sights were definitely worth seeing, and the company was a blast!