Blasting back to the past...
The rest of the week since my last post, I am pretty sure was similar in story to all the others I have written about. Apparently, nothing too eventful happened, as nothing very vividly sticks out in my mind. Agi had us watch the Hungarian movie Kontrol on Thursday evening. It took place in the Metro and was rather violent but had some quite hilarious parts. (Before I left my lesson to go watch it, János was trying to tell me about a part but was laughing so much he could barely speak. I had never seen him do that before! And he was right...the part he was describing was hilarious.) However, when it was through, I was scared to ever ride the Metro again for fear of someone jumping out of the shadows and throwing me on the tracks in front of the train. BUT...I faced my fears, and on Saturday when I was in Budapest I did ride on the Metro...constantly peaking over my shoulder.
Budapest :)
We had a visitor from Denmark, Mirjam, for two weeks, so I went with her to Budapest that Saturday. I ended up being like a tour guide oddly...even though I had only been there are few times before. I had my little map and transport tickets and was speaking Hungarian. (Katrin, I felt like you! hehe!) I was so excited that I was actually able to use some Hungarian. I have managed to pick up quite a bit of vocabulary over the past couple of months. It is amazing what being "thrown" into a culture can do for your language skills! (That, I think I shall call Gratitude 33!) I got our train tickets entirely in Hungarian! and was asking directions and where things were in a store, ordering our food, etc...all in Hungarian! :) That was fun! Many times, though, I'd ask in Hungarian, and they'd reply, "Do you speak English?" Argh! Nem, speak Hungarian to me! It's the only way I'll learn! We met so many nice people, though. Some Americans that used to live in Ohio...such a small big world we live in! And...in a music shop, we met a man who was a student at the Kodály Institute in 1982. He was from Canada and is teaching in Romania now and is good friends with Orsolya. How crazy!
What on earth could this pretty building be? Yes, it is the train station, designed by Eiffel, himself.
Gratitude 34...train stations/the ability to hop on a train and be somewhere so simply (because stations in itself...who really likes to wait around in any station or airport...not I!). Plus, it's fun.
Of course, from the inside, you'd never know that is what the outside looks like!
Állomás! Állomás! Budapesten! Kecskeméten! (Yes, that is really what the man through the speaker says...well, there is more to it than that, but I have no idea what it is...all gibberish.)
Monday (Nov. 3), I went to a concert at the Katona Jozsef Szinház, which is behind the Institute, with Wendy, Mirjam, Jong-sup, and Christa to see János sing. Much of the Institute faculty was, of course, there as well. Such a lovely little theatre! I did not enjoy the sopranos at all, but the mezzo was fantastic, as was János, and the tenor was pretty good as well. The first half was the Kecskeméti Symphony. That was neat, too.
Tuesday, we had Mexican night at the Institute...one of our many "cultural bonding" experiences. The food was delicious. Caitlin eats Mexican all the time at home, and here it is fairly rare, so we decided to chip in and get the ingredients if she cooked. Such fun!
Hungarian adventure of the week:
I had to set up a Hungarian bank account about a month ago for my residency permit (which I still don't have...but that's another story entirely!), and about a week after we had set it up, I received some letter from the bank. It was all in Hungarian. I had no idea what it said, but it looked just like an advertisement, so I threw it away. Little did I know that it actually was telling me how to get my bank card. Oops! So, I got up early one morning and tottered my way to the bank ready to take on the task of figuring this out. I got a number...pretty sure...no, I know I hit the button that said "Lost Card"...I waited...and waited some more. Then, when they finally called my number I prayed that I would get an understanding teller. I lucked out. The lady was super nice! And made sure that I could see what was being done, so that I understood everything. Such nice people there are in Hungary!
Okay...fast-forwarding through time...
Thursday (Nov. 13), I had the best chamber music lesson I have had with Roland. We worked on a Hungarian folk song I am doing, A csitari hegyek alatt. Lovely piece. :) It went quite well...for the first time. (Rhythmically, it is a challenge, as well as high...and the fact that I do not speak the language!) The part that made my day the most was that as we left, instead of saying "Jó napot" like should be said to our "elders," we said "Csokolome" to Roland, which literally means "I kiss your hand." It is very old Hungarian and was/is used only by older men to greet women, as they used to be greeted by kissing their hand. We all had a good laugh! haha! (Around the Institute, some of us get a kick out of saying it to each other, but I am not sure anyone was ever daring enough to say it to a professor...it is all very informal here, though...every professor/teacher here goes by their first name, no mr.'s or mrs.'s)
Friday was...thankfully Friday. Conducting was pretty much the worst experience of my life! Oh, it was awful! I was pretty much told to sit back down and do it again on Tuesday. Ugh! I somehow managed not to cry. After class, Zoltán was all worried he'd hurt me and asked if I was okay. Yes, he upset me, but it was more on my own fault than any his. He had every right to criticize my work. Honesty isn't always easy, and the truth can hurt sometimes, but we cannot move forward without knowing what to correct.
After choir, I went out for a bit because I knew I needed to step away for a little time. I also really needed some laundry detergent...and I ended up impulse buying a new cute black purse. So worth it! And I am so glad I did. It was time for a new purse. Plus, it's really cute. For dinner, I ended up going out with Emma, Wendy, and Hilary, and then we goofed off after dinner. We had a good time. Unfortunately, though, I ended up spending even more money...I found a cute blue sweater on sale...again, an impulse buy, but a very good one! So pretty! (Gratitude 35...impulse buys that turn into the best of purchases!)
Saturday morning, I had a make-up lesson with János from the previous week. 10:30am voice lesson? Ugh. But I had no choice, as I was going to Budapest in the afternoon. So...I got my butt out of bed at 7:30am, got a nice long shower, made sure my things were ready for Budapest, went to the open market for some honey. (Gratitude 36...the most amazing honey I have ever had in my life! Finom!) It was a lovely morning, too. On the way to the market, I was standing at the crosswalk with an old man, so I decided to say "Jó reggelt" ("Good morning"). He gave me the weirdest look. I was just confused. Just trying to be friendly. When I got to my lesson, I said to János, "Nekem van egy kerdes..." ("I have a question...") His reply: "Just one question?!" Well, it is never one question with me, of course! Anyway, I asked him if Hungarian greet random people on the street...apparently not. I think I gave him a good laugh, though...I seem to give him his daily dose of laughing. So, that moment on the street, I must have had a huge "AMERICAN!" sign flashing above my head...yet, they all seem to think I speak Hungarian. haha! Oh well!
The lesson...the most incredible voice lesson of my life! No, it was nowhere near perfect. There were many mistakes. The sounds were not always the most brilliant. However, in a sense, it was perfect. In a new way. Perhaps the secret is that perfection is in imperfection. Nem tudom. I don't know. And probably never shall. However, me finding satisfaction in something that isn't perfect...now, that is progress for a perfectionist like me! (And that shall be Gratitude 37) But really, it was a fabulous lesson...and at 10:30am!! We really accomplished great things. My coloratura is getting better. Despite my "stubborn-ness," it is for my voice. I really do love it, but the "getting" it part is what is the most frustrating. Oh, I have so many frustrations! János sees my frustrations every day, and he has been so understanding. He reminded me that finding the answers is never easy, but it is very important that I do not give up. (Actually, I am not sure the concept of "giving up" even exists in my vocabulary...I am too stubborn I think!) We all have things we must work through, and he remembers from his own experiences of learning going through the frustrations I am. It was good to be reminded. :)
***Stay tuned for the rest of my updates coming soon! I promise!***
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