Christmas Market in Prague (Gloomy, but not really)
I got some great news a few weeks back! I found out that…someone actually reads my blog! Yes! So what if it’s my sister! It’s better than…nobody reading it! Actually, she asked me why I hadn’t written something in a while, and I didn’t have a really good reason. Some excuses, sure, but nothing substantial. So what if my computer continues to freeze up to the point where I can’t type or move the mouse whatsoever. Last week, they replaced my logic board to fix the BLACK SCREEN OF DEATH!
Regardless, I’m finally ready to write an entry, just for my sister, to wrap up this year and bring on the new year — and quite possibly the last year the world will ever witness.
Christmas party - Lili leading the way...
The last two years, I did not celebrate Thanksgiving conventionally. My first year, I was in Belgium, which was awesome. Last year, for unspecified reasons, I didn’t celebrate at all. It’s kind of strange to think of such a big holiday being celebrated all across the US, yet by not waking up to a parade on TV, or driving several hours in traffic to enjoy turkey, argue with family, and enter a food coma almost make it feel like just another teaching day here in Europe. I did spend a few lessons teaching about being thankful, or at least what makes you happy. Responses included:
Christmas party - 1st grade reindeer...
- legos
- my mom and dad
- my dog
- giraffes
- Jacob!
After drawing hand turkeys all week at school, I switched gears to get ready for a first: The first Thanksgiving for me while abroad. The American teachers here in Budapest were all in for getting a full-on meal together. The dilemma: Finding a whole turkey in Budapest. The dinner was planned for Saturday. It was Friday. I’d asked my colleagues where to find one, to which they replied with a look of stupor, wondering why anyone would want to buy an entire turkey. And even if I found one, what were the odds of it fitting in the smaller ovens that can be found in kitchens all over Hungary. Lucky for me and fellow turkey hunter Chris, the first meat stand we went to at the nearest outdoor market, Bosnyak Ter, had a big, fat, meaty turkey sitting on the counter. The sucker, which weighed in at a hefty 6+ kilos, or around 13 pounds, was taking up most of my fridge space waiting to be cooked.
Turkey with garlic cloves under skin
After a night of, ahem, celebratory drinking between Chris and I, I managed to get myself out of bed and start prepping my other dish, scalloped potatoes. While talking to friends John and Val on Skype and getting ready, I managed to slice my thumb instead of the potato, and started freaking out, of course. I was almost positive I sliced off more than I thought, and was ready to head to the hospital to get it sewn
scalloped potatoes - minus my skin
back on. In between my friends’ laughter, I managed to wrap it up, put all the ingredients in a bag, and carry my bleeding finger and myself out of my apartment and on the road to the hostess’s place. Thanks to my thinner blood — damn alcohol — my finger took nearly two hours to stop bleeding.
While cutting my finger was definitely traumatizing for the day, it at least got me out of cooking and washing duties. Another teacher and I made a run to Tesco, the Walmart-like store of Europe, and stocked up on wine/beer and bread for the evening, but not before stopping to enjoy some pre-T-Day dinner Belgian-style fries!
Turkey cooking in the oven -- yes, that's beer
And what comes after Thanksgiving? Black Friday. Oh, but no Black Friday here in Hungary? Well then, I guess next up would just be the holiday season. One of the coolest things about Christmastime in Europe is the fact that there are holiday markets all over the place. Hot food, hot wine, and cool/unique, mostly handcrafted gifts. It’s nice to walk around there every once in a while, so long as it’s not a weekend and crazy busy with tourists.
Someone's meal on a plate!
I’ve been fortunate enough to go home the last two winter breaks. It’s been rough, fighting snowstorms, delays, and undesired layovers, but I still had a great time with family at home for the break. This was the first year to not go home. Tickets were way too expensive, and with the fear of being delayed by snow yet again, it just wasn’t worth the expensive risk. Well, as luck would have it, this season has thus far seen less than a handful of flurries. Either way, the ticket was about $600 more than it should’ve been. So I stuck around, and a few of my friends here who also didn’t go home decided that Christmas should be spent in Prague.
Even though this was my third trip to Prague, it was definitely different than the last two. I really enjoyed Prague this time around, and I think part of it had to do with the time of year. Being Christmas weekend, we were informed that a lot of the sights would be closed. This actually worked to our benefit, as we didn’t have to worry about making any opening or closing times, or rush around to fit a bunch of things into one day. Instead, we wandered around, seeing what we wanted, stopping whenever we felt like it, and just enjoying a laid-back time in Prague.
Václav Havel --- Get it?
Restaurants include a Mexican restaurant where the waiter made fresh guacamole at our table — and it rocked — and an all-you-can-eat-and-drink Christmas Eve dinner, with tuba and accordion players serenading us to Jingle Bells! We also managed to enjoy bagels at Bohemia Bagel, and a bunch of Christmas market street food. Can’t. Complain. At. All.
Memorial for Havel in the castle
We also managed to check out the Pulp Fiction bar called Jack Rabbit Slim’s (it’s close to the train station). While looking for a different bar, a bunch of old guys told us that this is the happenin’ bar to go to. I mean, it was pretty cool, but not the place we were looking for at the beginning of the night.
I should also mention that when we got to Prague, we waited for about 45 minutes in front of some sketchy bar where the lady wouldn’t let us in.
All you need is...
When I finally called the guy who was supposed to take us to the apartment, he was shocked that we were waiting for him. He then drove us in his dog-piss-smelling car to the apartment. Lucky for us, the apartment did not smell like his car. I can recommend the apartment if
Kitchroom? Batchen?
anyone’s interested, as it wasn’t too far from downtown, and even the apartment owner couldn’t ruin how nice the apartment was on the inside. I’ve never shared a shower and a kitchen, though. First time for everything, right?
A few movies that I’d like to recommend that I’ve seen this last month here in Budapest. Moneyball was awesome. For those who don’t know, it’s about Billy Beane changing the way the A’s picked players by using a mathematical equation. This may sound strange to say, but it was fun watching the movie. I even felt like I had goose bumps after reliving the A’s 20 game winning streak. It also brought me home, seeing what is now called O.Co Stadium, along with other shots of the Bay Area.
The other movie I saw was 50/50. Joseph Gordon Levitt finds out he has cancer, with a 50/50 survival rate. The movie succeeded in giving a lighthearted edge to an otherwise heavy subject. Also definitely recommend this one.
The last thing I want to share is a video. I was walking around the Christmas market at Vorosmarty Ter the other day with a friend, sipping hot wine and relaxing, when something strange projected onto the building where Gerbaud is. It turned out to be an awesome 3-D projection, which was just mindblowing!
I stopped into two museums this week: the Agricultural Museum, which had a Christmas art exhibit and a bunch of other stuff I didn’t get to see since they closed at 1600 that day, and FINALLY the “From San Francisco to Woodstock” exhibit at the Kogart House. It was awesome to check out, especially since I’ve been to several of the venues. I’m curious to find out which concerts my hippie dad went to during the time. It’s crazy to think while he was rockin’ out to some Jefferson Airplane at the Fillmore, my mom was probably rockin’ out to lullabies in her crib.
RIP Hippies...
Beatles @ Candlestick!
Woodstock poster
In summation, I’ve had a great 2011. Lots of memories made, for better or worse, and I’m looking forward to welcoming in the New Year. If only I knew what’s in store for me in the New Year…aside from the Apocalypse, that is.
My travel buds to Prague
