Adventures in Budapest: March 2007

Countdown to the end

It's hard to believe I will be leaving Hungary one month from today, on April 24. My time will be spent finishing exams and papers, traveling with my parents when they come to visit and then trying to get my thesis done before leaving. Ahh! Mild panic may be setting in.

Realizing that time is short, a few weekends ago the five Ambassadorial Scholars got together so that we could say we had at least one last time together, should another opportunity not present itself. It had been A

aron's birthday a good three weeks before, but the Mongolian BBQ restaurant gives free cake with sparkler to the birthday boy, so we spent the night congratulating Aaron on turning the big 2-5. It was the first time I had really pretended it was someone's birthday when it really wasn't (one or two days off doesn't count), and to be honest it was far more fun than I could have ever imagined. The all-you-can drink aspect of the night probably helped heighten my amusement.

Of all the people I will miss in Budapest, Aaron, Jeff, Monika and Noah are at the top of my list for sure. Although we've only known each other since email contact began last summer, when we get together it's as if we've been friends for life, and even if we haven't hung out in months it's as if it's only been a day. I love Rotary for the opportunity to study for free in Budapest, but love them more for sending me the best friends one could ask for.

Eurotrip 2007... Jonathan Visits Europe

Somehow I managed to turn my two days off from school due to a Hungarian holiday into a week and a half vacation with Jonathan. We had an amazing time traveling around France and Italy, visiting a total of nine cities in ten days. Some thoughts about the trip:

1. New favorite European city: Torino (Turin), host of the 2006 Olympics. Beautiful. Cheaper than Rome and Milan. Great weather. Rome and Krakow are close behind.

2. Best meal consumed: our daily gelato beats out all other food. Italian gelato is simply amazing. I also introduced Jonathan to the amazingness that is San Benedetto ice tea. We also consumed large quantities of European Pringles, at 2-4 Euros a canis

ter… ouch.

3. Favorite friends made along the way: we stayed with Hospitality Clubbers in Milan and had such a fabulous time that they invited us to visit them over the weekend in Genoa (Genova), where they are from. In Genoa we visited Christopher Columbus’ home. Cool.

4. Most interesting attraction: Monte Carlo’s public elevators take you fourteen stories from the top of the city to the bottom. I’ve never seen anything like it. The Shroud of Christ, i

n Torino, ranks a close second.

5. Favorite souvenir: Knock-off sunglasses bought outside the Colosseum in Rome. I am reminded of Rome each time I wear them, which is probably why I love them.

6. Best weather: probably Rome. Every time I go there the weather is fabulous and my pictures come out amazing. Something about that city...

7. Biggest disappointment: French Riviera. Nice reminds me of Miami, only more people, smellier, more expensive and less safe. A second close is the Sistine Chapel, R

ome. Although the line outside to get in moved rather quickly, and we got the student discount, they make you walk through the entire museum just to see that Michelangelo’s proportions were way off.

8. Best trip "bonus": meeting Jonathan's aunt, uncle and four cousins in Nantes, where they have been living for the past four years. Spending time with his family was the absolute best way to end the trip.

Pig Killing in Kecskemet

NOTE: THIS POST CONTAINS PHOTOS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART! BLOOD AND GUTS WILL BE REVEALED!

In February, one of the local Rotarians invited me and Aaron, a fellow scholar and partner in crazy Europeans adventure who has been featured in my blog before, to a traditional Hungarian pig killing. The former vegetarian that I am, I took it as a cultural event: in Hungary, each village household generally slaughters one pig a year, which provides enough meat for the family until the following year.

It was a full day event, which began at 5am and ended at 9pm. Just to give you an idea of the schedule:

5:00am- Lazi the Rotarian picked me up and we drove to Kecskemet, a city an hour and a half outside of Budapest

7:30am- ate breakfast (fresh boiled pig's blood and scrambled eggs) and started drinking palinka, a Hungarian liquor that is traditionally consumed in countryside to warm you up on those cold Hungarian winter mornings

9:00am- the pig killing begins (see photos below)