Return to Hungary

Gratitude 31

I am thankful clean clothes after living from a small bag for ten days!

Saturday afternoon, I arrived back in Hungary. Through my time of traveling, I received THREE stamps in my passport!!! :) Including a Hungarian one! (Yes, believe it or not, I actually had to go through customs when I entered Hungary...as opposed to getting my bags and walking out the door when I arrived from the States...weird as that was.)

It was nice to be "home." I love Hungary. I have grown rather fond of it here. It is a lovely gem too easily forgotten/overlooked. However, it is also a much different life/world than the rest of Europe. It was also a little difficult to remember there is a language barrier that you have to be patient and work to understand and be understood. I was still on lazy-brain English and got a little irritated with the lady at the airport when I was trying to figure out how to get to the train platform. I don't know why, but for some reason...and we are all guilty of doing this at some point...we think that if we say the same thing slower...and sometimes louder...they'll understand us...even if they don't speak English. I don't know why. It's rather absurd, but somehow we actually think that works. I am still working to switch back to Hungarian. I still find it completely amazing that people like my teachers here speak English as a second...or even third or fourth...language and can switch between them at a blink of an eye.

Anyhow, I did eventually make it to the train platform and almost got on the wrong train. I, again, fooled people that I could speak Hungarian. I don't know how I do that. All I ever actually say is "nem," "igen," and "köszönöm." The airport shuttle driver looked at me startled when I asked him a question in English. "Beszélsz magyarul?!" He had apparently assumed that I spoke Hungarian because I had answered him in Hungarian (my answer was "igen") at the airport. It's kind of funny. I guess it's a compliment, too, but it doesn't always help with communication...the problem is you still have to understand what they say back to you...in Hungarian. I'm working on it.

Back in Kecskemét, I found a letter from my friend Noémi. :) And it was time for a shower and to do laundry! I love clean things! And then they smell so nice, too. :) At night, Tom and Yolanda had a little Halloween party at their flat. Those of us that were back went and ate junk food and shared stories of our travels.

Sunday, I went to Budapest with Christa (the student I go to yoga with) and her husband Vincent. We went to the opera house to see Beethoven's Fidelio. Well, I can say the music was lovely as expected. As for the rest...I have decided that I possibly may need to get a red dress for my recital in March...but I don't think I can ever look at the color green the same again. (It was a modern staging...they had some good ideas but went about them in entirely the wrong way...and that is all I shall say.)

Now, I am incredibly behind on sleep and practice. I am fighting with the faces of Stress and Anxiety right now and trying to win. I have SOOOO much to do (and of course, I am blogging right now and should be practicing...). I terribly neglected things while I was away...especially the most desperately needed nurturing of solfege. So I am breathing right now. I'll get it, and everything will be okay. I just need to stay relaxed and pace myself...no anxious flurries allowed!