“What Happens In Budapest, Stays In Budapest”

I’m writing the draft to this post while sipping on some cappuccino at the airport. I don’t know when I’ll be able to actually post it – hopefully soon!*

It’s Friday and I have three (and a half) lovely days behind me. To be honest, I don’t know why it took me so long, considering that I’m so into Hungary.

Flights are cheap: a couple of low-cost airlines fly to Budapest from most major Scandinavian cities. I’m flying Ryan Air this time, and I don’t really mind it, even though the service on the plane isn’t good. The schedule is perfect: even though it takes me ages to get to the airport from my house (ferry 2,5 hrs –> bus 1 hr –> bus 1,5 hrs) I manage to squeeze the whole journey into one day. Transportation is easy in Budapest, but as my toes will tell you – you don’t really need to use any type of public transport if you plan on staying in the city centre. I used public transportation three times in five days: to get from and to the airport and to go to the bath.

The city centre is very touristic: and it’s OK. It wasn’t until I met up with a Hungarian friend that I saw some places that weren’t overcrowded with Italian teenagers. Of course, meeting a friend I haven’t seen for 8 years was one of the best parts of the trip: and better even, we still got along really well and had lots of things to talk about. 

Accommodation in Budapest is cheap. I decided to stay in a hostel because I was travelling alone and this way I’d meet some new people. The hostel I stayed at was located very centrally and it was cheap. The staff were really nice, too. They arranged a wine tasting evening, and some locals were also invited, which was great.

How about the language? Hungarian isn’t easy, and more importantly, it doesn’t look like anything else. Most signs in the city centre were in English as well as in Hungarian, and most people did speak at least a little bit English. Knowing some Hungarian is a plus, of course.

What can you do? I spent most of my time walking (my toes are still sore!!!), drinking coffee and socializing. I could have seen more and I could have done plenty more, but I like it this way – I’m planning on going back soon so there really was no need to rush. My plan to write at coffee shops didn’t really pan out, there wasn’t enough time for that. I would definitely recommend the thermal baths, though. There are several in the city: we went to Szeczenyi at Varosliget (the city park), which has huge outdoor pools. The day we went there was very sunny and warm, so we were able to start working on our tans. Shopping would be an option: as any other big city, Budapest has a lot to offer. For once I managed to stay out of the shops, though. I just bought a skirt because it was too hot to wear trousers one day

The one downside was the beggars. First of all I’m personally not used to seeing them at all, so it was quite troubling. Secondly they could get quite intimidating when approaching a girl who was on her own..  Apart from this I felt safe in the city.

I know quite a few Hungarians from before and in general I feel very comfortable with them – maybe we have a similar mentality? I didn’t experience any rudeness: most people were helpful and polite. And yes, what they say about Hungarian women is true – they are sooo very pretty (gosh, I wish I were a Hungarian woman ).

 

*this post is published the same day it was written. I’m sitting on the ferry, longing for a shower! Wow, this has been a long day.

Spring

Today is my last full day in Budapest. I haven’t been panicking about the sightseeing, because I’m thinking that if I leave some of the sights unseen, I’ll have a good reason to return here soon This trip has been good for me, travelling alone has forced me to be a bit more open and sociable to the people around me. Since I’m staying at a hostel people are constantly coming and going, which means that you meet lots of cool people – but they might be gone the next day. I’m starting to think that my problem with people is that I get attached to the interesting ones too easily.

I’ll probably just go for one more walk and in the evening I’m meeting a Hungarian friend, whom I haven’t seen for 8 years. After that it’s time to say goodbye to Budapest.

Greetings

What can I say? I’m lovin’ it…

En français

Once in a while, quite often actually, I feel like learning random sentences in French. Maybe French is the language of thoughts so advanced that no other language is good enough? The things I want to say in French are not normal or even useful – no, usually they are combinations of words that I’d like to use for book titles.

Ce jour-là le monde entier se mit à rire.

Photos From The Weekend

That Day Her Mind Was Restless

Restless thoughts, restless mind. Sitting still, trying to focus. Things need to be done, but getting them done seems almost impossible. The underlying question is why. Why do anything at all?
The thoughts come back, they return silently like ghosts. Maybe they didn’t leave at all. Questions about life and the future and the sense of it all. Is there any sense? Is this all there really is to it? We create our world, it’s ours to form and to develop. Complaining serves no purpose, frustration might lead to change.

Where do you want to be then? What do you want to do? The thought of a house and cutting the lawn once a week and fredagsmys and getting a driver’s license and a volvo seems so… awfully boring. Where we put on this planet just so that we can spend our Friday evenings watching telly and eating sugar?

I know. I know. We all choose how we want to live. Just because others like it this way doesn’t mean that everyone has to stick to the same kind of life. But still. It makes me restless.

There is so much to see, to feel, to taste, to explore, to do. There are great places that need to be discovered and important things that must be figured out. That’s what the restless girl wants to do – to figure it all out and give the world a little bit of happiness. And laugh – she wants to laugh a lot.

La raison de vivre/Az élet értelme/The Meaning of Life

One of the things I’ve spent a great deal of time thinking about is life. My own life and life in general. The words have been flying around in my head, but putting them down on (virtual) paper has been a difficult task.

There are three principles that guide me in my everyday life: curiosity, responsibility and solidarity. The curiosity is directed towards all kinds of things and phenomena – stilling this curiosity is one of the things that bring me most happiness in life. When it comes to interpersonal relationships I’m pretty much the solitary wolf, but I still maintain that all action should be based on responsibility and solidarity to others. My personal wellbeing can never be greater or more important than that of other people. At the same time, I’m aware that my actions affect those around me: therefore, my decisions should be such, that the consequences are positive for others as well. 

Now, I believe that we are all good at something. We definitely have passions and interests that motivate and drive us. All individuals are responsible of their own personal happiness: society can and should guarantee certain types of rights and obligations that guarantee its members a certain standard of life. A high level of subjective wellbeing, however, is something each individual has to achieve on his/her own.

What’s the point then? Finding a meaning of life is difficult – some people find it in religion, others somewhere else. At a very general level, I suppose that the meaning for the human race is to survive. Within this group consisting of all human beings, individuals have choices and a degree of freedom (in some societies more than in others) – what we do with that freedom is up to us. To me that freedom means that I should pursue my interests and do what I’m good at, moreover – the responsibility to others requires that I do this. This holds true for everyone.

Spring Is Colourful

One week of holidays and my brain has already turned into porridge. It took me several hours this morning to realise that it’s Friday. Today I’ve cooked lunch for M & M. And now I’m listening to reggae. Hmm. I’ve noticed that the less you do, the more difficult it is to actually get things done.

We love colours!!

On How To Fight The Boring Stuff

The plan was to clean the entire house today (thank G, we don’t have a big house!!). It started very well: phase 1 of cleaning is always the easy part, you just need to empty all the wardrobes, bookcases and cupboards so that you can clean them. Unfortunately phase 1 is also the most dangerous part, you see, this is when you find a lot of interesting things that you had forgotten existed.

In my case that tremendously interesting thing was a….dadada… red lipstick. Of course I had to try it on. Not the usual way, no. The other day I read an interesting article about applying lipstick with your fingers. So, time to play “apply bright red lipstick with your fingers”. After trying it on, it was time to document this very important event so that it would not be forgotten by history.

How much do you think I’ve cleaned in the past three hours? Not at all. Now it’s time to cook lunch, I’ll re-evaluate the situation after that

The Wannabe Vegetarian Strikes Again

NB: this does contain meat in the form of chicken! The good news is that my appetite is back (all it took was a trip to the gym), the bad news is that the fridge is almost empty, so this is what I ended up cooking for lunch.

The plate was filled with: a couple of spoons of protein pasta, low-fat feta cheese + tomato sauce made with chicken, garlic, chili, chickpeas, red (YELLOW) pepper, mushroom and well… tomato. It doesn’t look all that good but it did indeed make the hunger disappear AND it was spicy, which is always a good thing.

Word of the Day

English: hope
Swedish: hopp
German: Hoffnung


French: espoir
Spanish: esperanza


Finnish: toivo
Hungarian: remény



Polish: nadzieja
Russian: надежда

Definition of Holiday

This is what the term “holiday” means in this playground. Needless to say, it’s all very exciting, except the part that says “clean the entire house”… hate, hate, hate cleaning, but someone’s gotta do it. If there’ll be any time left after that, I’d also like to do some more translating… and training. Anyhows, the plan is to get everything done before going to Budapest so that I won’t have to worry about deadlines while I’m there.

Perfect Diet Food…

…or maybe not.

The scales are showing kind digits but unfortunately it’s probably more the cause of loss of appetite than exercise and healthy food. Honestly, I don’t feel like eating anything, I manage to get down dried bread and coffee-flavoured yoghurt. Apart from that, I’m currently living on coffee. Nice. Not!

…oh and don’t forget the diet coke. Sigh.

Waiting For The Rain

Yesterday was the last day of work at the “old place”. The whole week has been strange: it’s interesting to see how people move on even though you’re still there. I realise that it’s normal behaviour but in any case it felt odd. It’s difficult for me to get attached to people and I also try to avoid personal relationships at work because I believe that those relationships can lead to negative consequences – people have a tendency to irrationality and in case of fall-outs or disagreements people forget how to behave professionally. I will still miss my colleagues and now that we aren’t working together it might be fun to make friends with them  

I will now enjoy three weeks of freedom. Most of this time will be dedicated to studying, but in a fun way. I’m planning on drinking cappuccinos in nice coffee shops and finding the brightest spots at the library. In a week + 2 days it’ll be time to visit Budapest.  All I will take with me is a pair of trainers. Apart from this I need to find balance: a lot of strong feelings have recently made their existence known. Strong feelings and passion ARE good, but in order to gain peace of mind, a person also needs moments of complete stillness and emptiness.

May you always...

 ”May you always have walls for the winds, a roof for the rain, tea beside the fire, laughter to cheer you, those you love near you and all your heart might desire.” (Irish blessing)

 

It’s raining today – big drops of water are smattering against the window, I hear soft voices discussing. Someone’s laughing somewhere far away; someone else is opening a door and gently closing it, too. The air is warm although I’m hiding under a big scarf.  The tea is slightly bitter (the tea bag has been in the mug for too long) and it’s burning my tongue. It’s too light.

 

This moment right now is peaceful and calm. My mind is empty, only absorbing what’s going on around it. A moment of stillness is necessary for happiness; it completes feelings of energy, excitement and passion, it stills the fire and lets it burn longer.  

I

Sometimes I wish that I would be one of those people who giggle and hug others for no apparent reason. Like those people who are so damn adorable all the time.

Sometimes I wish that I could forget all my insecurities and just be myself.

Sometimes I wish that I wouldn’t be so modest and such a perfectionist, that I could just let go. Be proud of my achievements and have a certain air of je ne sais quoi and that special shimmer in my eyes.

Obviously it would be a far better idea to spend all this time wasted on wishing on other things.

I’ve got four more days left. I already feel superfluous, not needed. I’m already forgotten although I’m sitting right here. I know it’s for the better – I did not spend 20 years of my life in school just to be an assistant who gets shouted at a lot. I know that the place where I’m going will be about decisions, politics and all other things that excite me. I know this spring will be wonderful with holidays and trips and Hungary. But still, there is a knot in my stomach that refuses to go away.

Old Style

Nothing beats pencil and paper

My Spot

It doesn’t matter how nice my desk is, I always end up doing all the important things at the kitchen table. This is my spot, this is where I get things done and feel comfy, this is where the inspiration flows. Where is your spot?

Wonderful Weekend

Saving plants with M, drinking cappuccino, dancing with A-C, running, training, music, sunshine, lots of carbs, sparkles, planning trips, essays on empathy, sociology.

First Run of the Year (Treadmills Don’t Count)

The weather is lovely and the spring is here = time to put on the running shoes and GO!

Dühös vagyok!Jestem zla!

When I feel strongly about something, I look for quotes that explain those feelings in some witty way. Unfortunately I only found bad ones about anger. I feel like exploding and would like to read something positive about clearing the mind and cleaning the soul of frustration. But no. All I found was clever statements about how anger leads to shame and a loss of happiness.

It doesn’t happen often because I really think that being angry is a waste of time, usually. Not today, though. I’ve had enough of stupidity. That’s all. Over and out.

Szenvedély [Hun: Passion]

 

 

 

 

 

Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart.

Confucius

Voisko jo tulla kesä? Kiiiitos.

The air was icy today, the reggae artists sing about seizing the day and about war. Awareness and solidarity. Yesterday two boys discussed Marx in the library while I tried to decide the topic for my essay in sociology. The coffee tastes bitter, the fingers are frozen. The paper lies empty before me. The big cities are calling. I think about the miracles in life and then I think about the ungraspable things – the ones that flee as soon as you try to touch them. The inbox is filled with mails that I don't have the energy to read. Just music seems to finds its way to the core. My frozen body is waiting for summer.

El cinco de marzo del dosmildoce

Word of the day: költségvetés = budget (Hungarian)

Treat: liquorice covered in white chocolate

Interest: political sociology (this is never going to end) – we also like political psychology, social psychology, sociology of law, political philosophy… you get the drill. Anyhows, policy analysis is a lot of fun  

Song: Called Out In The Dark by Snow Patrol

Place: the library

Topic: ethnic minorities

Happy thought: 9 days left

Sad thought: I’ll miss some of my colleagues

Exciting piece of information: my gym is starting classes in Body Attack.

March 3rd–Spring Is Coming