Life and Times in Hungary: Food, Nature, City Lights, Food, History, Food

I know I haven't posted much about life in Hungary so far. In truth, my job is fairly demanding. The hours I'm at school alone are almost full-time (32) and then I have a lot of planning to do on top of that. So the little that I have posted is mostly about movies/tv I've watched because that takes less time and is easier for me to write about.

What's life like here? Honestly, compared to my last two living abroad experiences, and besides the work load (which I'm still adjusting to and feel like by November or December I will have gotten the hang of) it's positively luxurious. I have my own place with fast internet that has only gone out once or twice (on stormy days), I have a well-enough-equipped kitchen lacking only in a freezer, I have a comfortable bed and more sitting surfaces/storage areas than I have stuff for, and reliably hot shower with good water pressure. Life is pretty easy here, and I'm not at all ashamed for the reprieve from host families/rural living/rustic living/fleas/cold/heat/weak or non-existent showers/eating food I don't really like or want consistently, on a daily basis/etc. I have a lot of freedom here. Nerd moment: it kind of reminds me of this line in the Fassbender Jane Eyre where Rochester is questioning why Jane wants to stay and she says something along the lines of, "I've lived a full life here! I have not been trampled upon!" That's kind of how I feel. For once, I'm not being trampled.

There are a lot of other teachers in Hungary also keeping blogs, and reading them has been really interesting for me. For one, everyone is having their own unique and challenging (but hopefully rewarding) experience. That just comes with living abroad, I think; there are always challenges. It seems like more people are happy they came than not, although perhaps that's not really what's going into the public record. Who knows. But the other thing that strikes me is how little I've actually written, and not just visually document or briefly commented on, from my own experiences. I never wrote down in this blog what a typical school day was like in Satsulukidzeo, I never photographed the often beautiful and delicious meals that Eralia would cook for us while we watched Chilean soap operas or the news, I didn't write down in here the funny stories of the people I've met or the things we've done. I mean, I wrote down some, but perhaps not as many as I should have. Oh well. I guess that's not my style, at least not on this blog. I like to show the pictures, but often I find writing down the things that have happened exhausting. I'd much rather just tell the stories in person, and let the pictures speak for themselves (mostly, give or take a snarky comment or two). So I guess that's where I'm at. Maybe I should write more down. Maybe I'll try to. Shrug.

All that being said, here are some photos of food, adventures, and my life here in Göd and elsewhere in Hungary.

Foodstuffs (I don't really eat out much, because I am rediscovering the joys of cooking, kind of, because I am cheap, and because eating out alone is okay but not really all that exciting for me? Like if I have a really good book maybe I'll go get a burger or burrito or something by myself but I'd rather have company for a real meal):

 Paprika popcorn! I was surprised by the spiciness. Probably not something I would eat on the regular, but... I didn't hate it.


While the paprika popcorn was what I would count as a successful experiment, the paprika palinka was less successful. The coconut tea biscuits, however? DELICIOUS.

The Daily Show, a liter of Diet Coke, oven-roasted french fries, and a mushroom-parmigiana omelette. One of the more complex meals I've attempted (I am lazy).

The other complex meal I attempted: roasted chicken breast with some root vegetables. Very Autumnal and delicious, I was pretty proud of how well this turned out.

One night I just straight up ate french fries for dinner. I roasted them in the oven so they weren't SO so bad for me. I bought a big bag of potatoes though, so this has been happening... often.

This is my other favorite thing to make. Powdered broccoli cheddar soup with noodles added. As you might notice by the cough drops, I've had a waning and waxing cold for most of September. This dish is so easy to make that even my lazy self can manage it after a day of teaching, therefore making it the best food ever.

P.S. I do sometimes eat fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. I just never think to document them, because zzzzzzzzzzzz.

P.P.S. This is a thing that exists. I have not tasted it, so I can't answer for its actual level of budget-ness. I can tell you that 1199 HUF is roughly $5.50.

P.P.P.S. An interestingly shaped bottle of wine.

Some shots from wandering around Göd. Fall is coming...

An interesting variety of skulls in the back of one of my classrooms. 

 This is the toilet paper arrangement in the teacher's bathroom at school. No comment.

Speaking of school, here are some of my 8th graders socializing with their old native English teacher, Natalie, before she left in September. I like this group; they're a good bunch.

 Ruin pubs seem to be really popular here. Basically, they're bars set up in the courtyards of buildings that should probably not have that many people in them. They're a little worse for the wear. In most of the ones I've been in, there are multiple rooms that run throughout the surrounding buildings, often up several stories, and sometimes running over into other courtyards. They're pretty cool.

Speaking of nights out, here are some older green-tinted photos from a bar I found myself at one evening a few weekends ago with some friends:

From the little time I have spent hanging out with Brenna I think it's fair to say: this is classic Brenna.

The bar's dj system: basically, just a computer with youtube set up in the corner. Made for a very lively mix.

A ferris wheel I always see on the train ride back to my town from Budapest. I think there is an amusement park, and I'm almost certain I've seen the cages of what looks like a zoo, on the way home. Another investigative adventure for another weekend, perhaps.

Some random architectural details from around Budapest. Up top,the top of a building and the Hungarian flag. I no longer remember the building. In this town though, you can basically throw a pebble in any direction and hit some beautiful old building.The city's teeming with them. In the middle, the front door of a fellow teacher's apartment building. Lastly, some shots from the Grand Market, which was sadly closed when I went to patronize it. Sigh. Another time!

Okay, so those are most of the old shots I've been meaning to put up. Here are some photos from yesterday, Saturday, spent at the House of Terror museum and wandering around Buda for a bit:

I don't even want to talk about how many tries it took for me to get this photo. Let's just leave it at: at least I got the shot, right?

 (I want this carpet.)

 (I took a photo of this because 1. propagandist art is always interesting and 2. I wanted to remember the word on the bricks behind it for later. This whole hallway was so interesting, it was a winding corridor, very narrow, with screens showing propaganda films and clips on various subjects. The screens were embedded in the walls, which all looked like the wall behind this picture, and were kind of rubbery/spongey when you touched them. My first thought was that perhaps they were meant to represent soap. There were papers you could pick up in every room that explained a lot of the display elements, but by this point I was starting to get a bit overwhelmed and only skimmed the paper, so I'm not sure what exactly the reasoning was for this material being used. I took a picture to check later and was a little afraid the word wouldn't show up but thankfully, with a little editing, I was able to read it and use Google Translate. It means, "lard". So... hm.) I was very happy because my entrance to the museum was free with my ISIC teacher's card, so perhaps some day I will go back to more thoroughly explore that hallway and really, the second half of the museum, which I moved somewhat quickly through.

Anyway, overall this museum was really great. The last level is the basement and there is a very intense elevator ride down to it where the lights are dimmed and you watch this video of a man recounting how they would kill the prisoners. It's really devestating. And I think the basement of the building is actually where prisoners were kept (Again, I was skimming the papers and rushing through at this point because it was getting to be a bit much). They recreate a lot of the cells, including this isolation chamber which is literally a square foot wide and deep closet with a name scratched out along the back that made me feel ill just looking at. I couldn't even take a picture of it, I just wanted to get far, far away from it. It's a very intense place, and pretty harrowing look at Hungary's sad subjugation during the middle of the 20th century. Very thought-provoking but definitely something you'll need a drink after.

Perhaps one of my favorites from yesterday. Walking around the Pest side, making my way over to the bridge to get up to the castle. This street looks over at Buda.

 I love this bridge so much. Those lions! So noble!

 (I have learned enough Hungarian to know that that sign is advertising beer and wine.)

 GODDAMMIT DUDE PUT YOUR HAND DOWN. ARGH.

 Took me a few tries but I finally got the picture I wanted, with the bridge and Parliament!

 The State Opera House. Mom, this is hopefully where I want us to go!

 Laptop statue. Indestructible metal laptop? WHY NOT ME!

 A glass of rose, which was followed by a glass of dark beer (a rare find but so appreciated!). Nice end to the afternoon/evening.

 Egesegedre!

Uuuuntil I got to Nyugati train station and realized I'd have to wait an hour for the next train back to Göd  This is my I-have-to-wait-an-hour-in-this-sketch-station?? face. Everything turned out okay, and I made it home in no time. I was asleep by 12:30 because I am an old woman trapped in a young woman's life. Still, all in all, not a bad way to kill a beautiful Fall afternoon.

P.P.P.P.S. The Georgian restaurant I found back in September is definitely opening and not closing!! So excited to get me some lobio and xatchapuri.