Halaszbastya
Szent Jobb (holy right hand of St. Stephen (the first king of Hungary)...yeah, it's real)
Inside of St. Stephen Basilica
Outside of St. Istvan Bazilika (St. Stephen Basilica) with Marcel, Christine, and Anabel
Hosok Tere (Hero's Square)
1.26.2010
BP Tour
There are two main people who run our program USF in Budapest program at Pazmany: Marcel and Andi. Not only are they extremely intelligent people (both are lawyers) but they are also such amazing people!! Marcel and Sharon (our study abroad coordinator at USF) took us on a tour of BudapestOur amazing professors (talk about Marcel, Andi, and Sharon) and those leading our program took us on a tour of BP.
Halaszbastya
Szent Jobb (holy right hand of St. Stephen (the first king of Hungary)...yeah, it's real)
Inside of St. Stephen Basilica
Outside of St. Istvan Bazilika (St. Stephen Basilica) with Marcel, Christine, and Anabel
Hosok Tere (Hero's Square)
Halaszbastya
Szent Jobb (holy right hand of St. Stephen (the first king of Hungary)...yeah, it's real)
Inside of St. Stephen Basilica
Outside of St. Istvan Bazilika (St. Stephen Basilica) with Marcel, Christine, and Anabel
Hosok Tere (Hero's Square)
First Day at Pazmany
I am so excited to start classes, mostly because all of the class I am taking sound really interesting:
Contemporary Culture
Nationalism and Ethnicity
Contemporary Issues in Central Europe
The History, Philosophy, and Development of the EU
Humanitarian Law
All of the professors I have met so far seem really experienced, and I am beyond excited to be learning new things in a new environment!
The first three classes are part of the USF in Budapest program, and contain mostly USF students (with the exception of one Hungarian student and two girls from St. Louis). The last two classes on the list are Erasmus classes. So, there will be both Hungarian and Erasmus students from around the world in the those classes. I can't wait to start those classes and meet new people!!
After class, Anabel and I found out that the UPC guys who are installing our internet had already shown up at our apartment, and we had missed them! And of course, they were busy and could not come back in a few hours. Sooo we had to schedule yet another appointment with them for Wednesday!! We are both ready to have internet again- we are at a new coffee shop, using their wifi, almost everyday. Although, I have to admit that it is super fun to walk around and explore, and we have a few favorite places already. One of them is called Praga (Prague) Tea and Coffee, and it has a very warm and antiquey feel to it. Another favorite of ours is a dessert/pastry shop that sells bomb Hungarian pastries, and is entirely pink and sparkly on the inside. Anabel calls it the "Pinky Barbie place". We've tried their dobos torta and raspberry rice pudding cake with a nice glass of white wine. Spectacular.
Anyways, after our first day of class, we met up with everyone from our program (that's right, all 21 of us and two mentors) and headed to Morrison's 1 for karaoke and dancing. That place was POPPING. They had a deal where you get three tickets for three beers at the door for 500 forints (about $2.50). The only thing is that you need to cash them in before 11pm, so it gets really packed around 10pm when most people show up. The place was full of students from all over- Hungary, Sweden, Australia, Spain, Portugal, and the U.S. I ran into two Portuguese guys I met last week when I was at a concert place with two of my cousins. So random! I also met up with an old cserkesz (scout) friend and two other friends I met through my friend Hannah, who studied in BP a few semesters ago. That night was really fun, and we definitely plan on going back!
Contemporary Culture
Nationalism and Ethnicity
Contemporary Issues in Central Europe
The History, Philosophy, and Development of the EU
Humanitarian Law
All of the professors I have met so far seem really experienced, and I am beyond excited to be learning new things in a new environment!
The first three classes are part of the USF in Budapest program, and contain mostly USF students (with the exception of one Hungarian student and two girls from St. Louis). The last two classes on the list are Erasmus classes. So, there will be both Hungarian and Erasmus students from around the world in the those classes. I can't wait to start those classes and meet new people!!
After class, Anabel and I found out that the UPC guys who are installing our internet had already shown up at our apartment, and we had missed them! And of course, they were busy and could not come back in a few hours. Sooo we had to schedule yet another appointment with them for Wednesday!! We are both ready to have internet again- we are at a new coffee shop, using their wifi, almost everyday. Although, I have to admit that it is super fun to walk around and explore, and we have a few favorite places already. One of them is called Praga (Prague) Tea and Coffee, and it has a very warm and antiquey feel to it. Another favorite of ours is a dessert/pastry shop that sells bomb Hungarian pastries, and is entirely pink and sparkly on the inside. Anabel calls it the "Pinky Barbie place". We've tried their dobos torta and raspberry rice pudding cake with a nice glass of white wine. Spectacular.
Anyways, after our first day of class, we met up with everyone from our program (that's right, all 21 of us and two mentors) and headed to Morrison's 1 for karaoke and dancing. That place was POPPING. They had a deal where you get three tickets for three beers at the door for 500 forints (about $2.50). The only thing is that you need to cash them in before 11pm, so it gets really packed around 10pm when most people show up. The place was full of students from all over- Hungary, Sweden, Australia, Spain, Portugal, and the U.S. I ran into two Portuguese guys I met last week when I was at a concert place with two of my cousins. So random! I also met up with an old cserkesz (scout) friend and two other friends I met through my friend Hannah, who studied in BP a few semesters ago. That night was really fun, and we definitely plan on going back!
1.21.2010
Budpest Week 1!!
This last week has been so crazy!! In between flying to Hungary, visiting relatives, looking for apartments, I have had no time to go online. In fact, we are still waiting to get internet at our apartment.
Anyways, let's start from the beginning. After arriving in Hungary with my mom and little brother, my aunts Andi and Lila helped Anabel and me find an apartment in downtown Budapest. Not only is it inexpensive (relative to Bay Area housing prices), but it is also gorgeous!! It is newly remodeled and has cute antique pieces lying around and really comfy furniture. We are currently loving everything about it! (Except maybe for not having internet, because we always have to go to coffee shops for free wifi.)
So, since my mom and brother are only here for about a week, we have been going around visiting as many family members as possible. We are staying with my mom's brother, Jozsi, and his lovely family, and have visited my mom's brother Peter and sister Edina.
With my mom, Richard, and Aunt Andi
With my Aunt Edina and her family
After we secured the apartment thanks to Andi's negotiating skills, we went and visited my maternal grandparents in Bekes. This was really cool, not only because I got to see them, but also because Richard and I ended up walking around with my mom and uncle Peter, and they showed us the schools they attended and neighbor's house they set on fire in their childhood. Some of the houses in that town were built in the 1920s, and my mom and Peter said that today they looked the same as when they were kids.
My mom and Uncle Peter in front of their elementary school
My Grandma, Mom, and me
Richard and I with our Grandparents
The day after we got back to Budapest after visiting Bekes, my uncle Peter drove us to Miskolc to visit my dad's family (his sisters, mother, my cousins, and second cousins). My godmother, Marika, made an amazing meal, and it was so great to hang out with that side of my family as well.
Picture with almost everyone on my dad's side of the family (minus my cousin Attila and his wife Piroska).
Anyways, let's start from the beginning. After arriving in Hungary with my mom and little brother, my aunts Andi and Lila helped Anabel and me find an apartment in downtown Budapest. Not only is it inexpensive (relative to Bay Area housing prices), but it is also gorgeous!! It is newly remodeled and has cute antique pieces lying around and really comfy furniture. We are currently loving everything about it! (Except maybe for not having internet, because we always have to go to coffee shops for free wifi.)
So, since my mom and brother are only here for about a week, we have been going around visiting as many family members as possible. We are staying with my mom's brother, Jozsi, and his lovely family, and have visited my mom's brother Peter and sister Edina.
With my mom, Richard, and Aunt Andi
With my Aunt Edina and her family
After we secured the apartment thanks to Andi's negotiating skills, we went and visited my maternal grandparents in Bekes. This was really cool, not only because I got to see them, but also because Richard and I ended up walking around with my mom and uncle Peter, and they showed us the schools they attended and neighbor's house they set on fire in their childhood. Some of the houses in that town were built in the 1920s, and my mom and Peter said that today they looked the same as when they were kids.
My mom and Uncle Peter in front of their elementary school
My Grandma, Mom, and me
Richard and I with our Grandparents
The day after we got back to Budapest after visiting Bekes, my uncle Peter drove us to Miskolc to visit my dad's family (his sisters, mother, my cousins, and second cousins). My godmother, Marika, made an amazing meal, and it was so great to hang out with that side of my family as well.
Picture with almost everyone on my dad's side of the family (minus my cousin Attila and his wife Piroska).
1.07.2010
Until we meet again, San Francisco
Today, I spent the day in the city with my little brother, Richard. We got haircuts (at Paul Mitchell's school...$20 for a haircut from a future professional?? Heck yes!) and then went shopping for a little bit and finally had lunch at the Citrus Club on Haight. As I was eating those glorious garlic noodles and laughing with Richard, I began to realize how much I would miss these types of days in San Francisco. From those hot days you can spend on Ocean Beach to the rainy days you decide to stay in your apartment to walking around campus as the fog rolls in.
I have never spent so much time away from my Bay Area "home base" and will miss my family and friends so much. People definitely determine whether or not I like a certain place, and I really hope to meet as many great people in Budapest as I have in San Francisco. But hopefully not too many...I do want to come back! Haha.
Stress from packing and looking for an apartment (still!) has distracted me from thinking a lot about this, I guess. But I am nevertheless SO EXCITED for Budapest!
TWO DAYS!!!!
I have never spent so much time away from my Bay Area "home base" and will miss my family and friends so much. People definitely determine whether or not I like a certain place, and I really hope to meet as many great people in Budapest as I have in San Francisco. But hopefully not too many...I do want to come back! Haha.
Stress from packing and looking for an apartment (still!) has distracted me from thinking a lot about this, I guess. But I am nevertheless SO EXCITED for Budapest!
TWO DAYS!!!!
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