Host Family

Just to bring you up to date: I have secured a host family. An American girl who studied in Budapest a few years ago recommended Emi and Kalman to me. They are an older couple who live in a small Soviet-era apartment in the northwest corner of the city. According to Kristin they are impeccably clean, the food is the best you'll find in Budapest, and they will look after me (vs. being in a "boarding house" where they are just interested in the $$). Between the two of them (they have 2 grown and married daughters who live nearby) they don't speak a word of English but that will be good (hopefully!) for my language learning.

The phone number at their apartment is 061 2453624. I will also be getting a cell phone, and will post the number when I have it. I'll also post pictures of the apartment and my host parents after I arrive.

Countdown to Budapast: 23 days!

World Cup Fever

This has nothing to do with my Ambassadorial Scholarship but is very cool nonetheless. The City of Boston hosted a World Cup "party" and showed the final game on a big screen TV set up in City Hall Plaza. It was terribly hot but we had a great time nonetheless. I was interviewed by New England Cable News and appeared on the 6pm news that night (check out http://www.boston.com/news/necn/ and search for "World Cup Fans are Frenzied in Boston"; I show up about 2/3 of the way through the video story). Here are some pictures from the event.

Rotary Ambassadorial Scholars Seminar

I spent June 23-25 at beautiful Rollins College in Orlando for the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholars Seminar, which was attended by approximately 25 outgoing scholars. What an amazing group of people! It was an action-packed weekend full of information and stories. There were many former scholars in attendance as well, and hearing their stories and adventures provided the perfect amount of intimidation and motivation. And the excitement level... through the roof! If you thought I was excited about Budapest before, just imagine now. There are four Rotary scholars from the US who will be going to Budapest, and one was at the Rollins seminar. We have been emailing back and forth these past weeks, but it was great to meet him in person. And thus the countdown begins... seven weeks and I will be leaving for Budapest!