Mindennapi

Mindennapi means Everyday in Hungarian. I thought I would just give a small idea of what my normal life here is in Hungary.
I wake up every week-day at 6:30 and get ready for the day. At about 7:20 my host mother drives to the primary school and then I walk the rest of the way to my school. When I get to school I walk right into my class and wait for it to start. In most classes I try everything I can to try to learn, but I never really understand. Only in the English classes I understand more than the others, and its kind of fun being like the educated "teacher". The breaks in school are fairly long, longer than in Remsen. Gym right now is basically a light run followed by a series of tests and soccer.After classes I try to grab lunch at the primary school, but sometimes I just skip it and hang out with my class mates. After a while I walk home and get ready for any sports practices in the evening. I also try studying Hungarian in my free time. And this is my tipical day.

Bocsánat

Bocsánat means sorry in Hungarian. This word is one of the words that hungarian teenagers choose to shorten when they talk with each other. They usually say Bocsi instead of Bocsánat as a sort of slang. Most adults don't liked this to be used though, so just use the regular word for elders. I would just like to say sorry for me not having a lot of posts recently, I have been very busy lately with my first day of school, a huge Rotary orientation, and just over all life. The school subjects I loved in the States have all now become Art classes for me here in Hungary haha, maybe I will come back very good at art! Probably not...

Sport

Sport is the same thing in Hungarian as it is in English, sport. Last night at six I had my first sport practice in Hungary, and it wasn't water polo or soccer, it was AMERICAN FOOTBALL! It was slightly confusing to play in Hungarian, the QB is pretty good in English, but he would often confuse left and right (which then confused me). Then this morning I had my first basketball practice. I think Iwas one of the better players (YAY!) but again, basketball in Hungarian is very confusing and hard to communicate. Not to mention, I wasn't really on top of my game. I really think I will enjoy doing sports here, there are some good guys. Peace!

Iskola

Iskola is Hungarian for school. Today I visited my new school in Dabas. Literally, it's a new school. They will be finished with it supposedly on friday, but we will see haha! I met a lot of teachers in the school and the principle. I also met the lady who will teach me hungarian! She is very nice, but seems very quiet. I went with János, and basically just went to work with him.

Town Square

Town Hall

Back Part of the School

Hallway in School

Gym/Where the teachers stay untill school is done

Wearhouse

Isn't this an awesome appartment house?!

My principle and his make-shift office

Today is also my brother Berti's name day! Name days are like birthdays, if you have a name that is the same as a saint or someone mentioned in the bible, you probably have a name day (I have two). So happy name day Berti!

Angolul

Angolul is what we americans call English. Today I met my counselor/school coordinator, he is the English teacher in my school. Frici took me to his house (which is right around the block from my house) and I met János and his family. Unlike most other english teachers in europe who know british english, János was taught american english (so I understood him better). When Frici left we talked about language and how the british are different from us Americans. But, then some students of János started to come in for lessons. He asked me to stay and help, so I did.

First were these Hungarian twins, I think there names were Audri and Alexadra? But, they seemed nervous when talking to me and they spoke english much like I speak spanish in Mrs. Izzo's class haha. Appearently tomorow is their eighteenth birthday and they will have a party (I have other plans)

Then, a boy came in who was only in the basic stages of learning english. He spoke really fast and eventually his words would become giberishy and quiet. "HELLO MY NAME IS..........." (I could not understand much past that haha, but he is only just starting out)

Finally was a boy in my class! He was fairly good at english, he just messed up a few words. Unlike the others, he was very good at small talk in english. But he would never accomplish the actual task of the excersize he was talking about, but oh well :/

It was very interesting to listen to these kids learn english. They were the exact opposite of me, they knew Hungarian and were learning English and I know English and am learning Hungarian. So today was like learning backwards, if you get my drift. Also, did you know that English has 12 different tenses? I had no idea that there was exactly 12 and I could never name them all. János found this very interesting that I didnt know this, but did any of you know that either? Because if you do, please educate me at what time we learned all of this. Anyways, he said he was going to mention me in his new book from what we talked about today, I'm glad I cleared a few things up for him. Peace!

BTW If anyone has any questions, feel free to comment!

Két Napok

Két Napok means two days in Hungarian. These first two days I have been here in Hungary have been absolutely beautiful! It has been nothing but sun, food, and Hungarian!

Me and my Country Contact in America (Colleen)

I like the clouds

Budapest airport (before customs)

The plane ride here was long and boring, mostly because there was a storm in NYC the delayed or canceled all flights. I was supposed to be getting on a plane in JFK with 4 or 5 other exchange students, but all of their flights were either delayed too late or just plain canceled, so I was the only on the plane.

When I arrived at my home Haza, I was amazed at how beautiful house it was! It was great! But, upon greater inspection of the houses in Dabas I realized that every house was beautiful!

Leves (Soup)

Chicken with dumplings (My host brother Berti in the backround)

Coffee

After I got home we ate lunch, and since I was a little hungry coming into Hungary I sat down to eat. There was a bowl of broath and a big bowl of chicken and vegetables in the center of the table. We would take chicken and vegies and put it in our broath to make soup. I ate it all (it was delicious) and was like "Ok, this was a good lunch". But next thing you know, my host mother brings out the SECOND COARSE. It was Hungarian dumplings with some kind of chicken. I ate a full plate of the too (still delicious) Then my host mother brings me out Ice cream (yum), then after that coffe where my YEO Frici stopped by to collect some things and tell me about my weekly hungarian classes (YES!).

I haven't used the t.v. yet (I don't think I would understand it yet anyway)

My room was great! My host parents made me a nice set-up full of pictures from home and my dual-flags. The cieling is very high and there is a door way that leads to a bathroom. This bathroom just had a shower and a sink, the toilet was in a sepret room. It was the most interesting thing ever going to the bathroom for the first time in Hungary. There is toilet paper dad, so that was good. The hole that everything goes down in (usually in the center of the toilet) was in the front part of the toilet. It took me forever to figure out how to flush it! There was no handle! There was somthing going into the wall but I'm pretty sure that's where the water comes from. The tank was attached to the wall and upon further inspection of it I realized you could push on it to make it flush! But depending on if you are going 1 or 2 you may need to make a couple more flushes.

Floating Island

A little later we went to my (host uncle's???) Birthday party. Fortunately for me this uncle lives in Ireland and is fluent in English. So we had a big dinner with a whole bunch of family with the word Tessék (Here you go) being thrown around everywhere. After my host brother Berti took me outside to play with all the other little children. This was very awkward because everyone was just standing there asking me questions (btw, they knew not one word of english) and I understood nothing. Finaly my brother touched me and everyone ran (I was it) I'm glad we could connect on something haha. After I hid from the kids (because I was exhausted) inside, they brought out cake (the good kind) and then this thing called a "floating island" (It tasted like marshmellows but wasn't)

I also find it a good to mention that besides the water I bought at JFK, I have not had one drop of regular water since I got here. It's all been this "fizzy" water, but I'm growing on it. Instead of soda they use this and add different "syrups" to add flavor, but I've mostly had it plain.

Under the bridge

I don't know these people, they just happened to be there.

After the party we went to Budapest to watch fireworks for St. Stephen's day (indepedence day for Hungary) and they were amazing. The whole time I was thinking that they started with the finallee and just never felt like stopping. Budapest is beautiful by the way! When everything was over the streets were filled with people! You could not fit a car accross the road! We got home at around midnight (where I passed out)

Berti and my host mother Netti walking

Frici's outside kitchen

The next day we went to a walk to Frici's house for lunch. They made everthing outside and we ate outside. I guess Frici and his wife used to spend the summer out here, that's what they told me. The is a bed outside too with a t.v./computer mounted to the wall, and a bathroom was around the corner. Basically my new hobby is sitting down and listening to people speak hungarian for more than an hour at a time. We did speak about american football for bit, Frici's somewhat of a football finatic. We discussed teams and what positions we liked. Frici's coordinator for the football team in town and when I told him what positions I liked he responded with "I have plans". That was when I started to think that there was a reason they picked a big, broad, american boy to live in Dabas haha. When we got up my host parent left for home and I was pushed into Frici's car along with Berti.

Look how dinky their Ice cream is!

I can't pronounce the name, but it is good.

They took me to this festival in the first district of Dabas. It's this festival for the Slovakian minorities in Dabas. We watched this dance they did around town (with lots of crazy screams) and the mayor of Dabas was there to speak (I understood nothing he said, but appearently he made a good speech)

Hungary is so great! I love it! Even though I can't understand anybody! But I learn! I have to get to bed now, it might be 6 PM in Remsen, but it is midnight here (I'm very tired right now)

BTW if there is any questions you want to ask, comment and I will answer in the morning!

Magyarország

Magyarország is Hungary in Hungarian. I think I mentioned this before, but I found this word appropriate since I AM GOING TO HUNGARY! This is like a dream come true for me! All the hard work I had to go through this year! All the time I spent on my school work when I could be with friends or having fun or just relaxing. This moment is finally here! I'm so excited. I will leave tomorrow mid-day and arrive the next day in Hungary, in the middle of the day! I will document my trip over to the best of my abilities, because HEY! Next time I post I WILL BE IN HUNGARY!!!!!! Peace!