Thoughts on the Two Month Mark

It's hard to believe I have already been in Budapest for two months, but that "monthiversary" is coming up quickly. As a Peace Corps volunteer with twenty-seven months of service ahead of me, two months seemed like nothing -- but as a Fulbrighter with only nine months total... time is passing too quickly! That said, I think I'm really getting into the swing of things here. Work is going really well, at both workplaces.

At ELTE, where I teach, fall break is upon us so we just had our mid-terms. When I asked my students how it went, they said, "HARD!"... which I take as a good sign! (Hehe.) Outside of teaching, my colleagues have asked me to put together a Writing Workshop for the students who are working on their thesis papers this year. As an extension, we are working on a project to start a writing center at our university. Unlike at many American universities, ELTE students don't have somewhere they can go to have their papers proofread and checked over for content, formatting, style, etc. Also, here oral exams are much more common than essays, so students tend to panic when they actually have to write something. So, a writing center is much needed! And since good writing is something I really appreciate, I am happy to help in this effort.

Things are going well at Fulbright as well. Now that I've gotten the hang of things in the EducationUSA office, I am working on bigger projects. I've been put in charge of putting together a Counselor Training Academy -- basically, a one-day workshop for Hungarian high school teachers and guidance counselors to learn more about the American higher education system, and to understand how they can help their students who want to study in the U.S. -- things like how to fill out materials on the Common App, how to write a letter of recommendation, where to look for scholarships, etc. It's really exciting to be a part of this, because I remember when I applied for college as a high school senior in Stockholm, there was very little support from my school because most of my classmates were applying to European or British universities.

Outside of work, one thing that has been challenging has been making friends, firstly because I don't see my colleagues that much, and secondly Hungarians as a whole aren't exactly bubbly and outgoing. But I am making progress! Recently, after deciding I needed to meet new people, I went to a coffee meetup for international women in Budapest. I found the event through Facebook and I was hesitant to go, but I am so glad I did! I met several new people from all over the place (Germany, South Africa, Romania, U.K...), including a few other teachers. I've already signed up for a potluck in a few weekends--now to figure out what I should "cook" that other people might actually want to eat...

On a final note, I'll be traveling quite soon to the U.S., to D.C. specifically, where I will take the Foreign Service Oral Assessment. This is the final testing component of the Foreign Service recruitment process, and consists of a completely nerve-wracking day-long interview/exercise where you are constantly watched by assessors as you work as a group, answer questions, etc. I'm very grateful just to have gotten to this point, but I'm nervous all the same -- justifiably so, I think, given the amount of time, effort, and money it has taken to get to this point. (I started this process in 2014!) The good thing is, I will find out the day of whether or not I passed. If I do pass, there's a whole series of new hoops to jump through and its still far from guaranteed that I'll get hired -- but if I fail, I start again from square one next June. Please keep your fingers crossed for me!

For now, it's back to grading tests for me! Until next time, readers.

Remembering 1956

Monday is a national holiday here in Hungary, remembering the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. Many Americans don't know much about this major Cold War event. However, the Revolution was a pivotal moment in Hungarian history which still sparks controversy and debate today.

In October of 1956, a group of Hungarian students, frustrated with the iron-fisted rule of terror imposed upon them by the Soviet Union, protested the government and its policies in front of the Hungarian Parliament building. Government security forces opened fire on the peaceful protest. Outrage intensified, and a revolt quickly swept the country. Revolutionaries banded into militias, and the Soviet government in Budapest collapsed.

Famously, an enormous statue of Stalin was pulled down and destroyed, leaving only his boots behind. People began cutting the Communist coat of arms out of the inside of the Hungarian flag as a symbol of freedom from Soviet oppression.

Statue of Stalin being dismantled. His boots are the only part that remain, and they can be seen at Memeto Park in Budapest, where many of the Communist statues have been collected since the fall of the Soviet Union.

Image of the flag with the Communist crest cut out.

The Soviet Union initially showed signs of willingness to negotiate with the Hungarians. However, after the new Hungarian government announced its plan to withdraw from the Warsaw Pact, the Soviet Union felt compelled to act. From the Soviet perspective, losing Hungary from its sphere of influence would shrink the buffer zone to the West and might start a chain reaction of other nations rising up; there was in fact a similar movement in Poland at the time. So, the Soviet Union responded with force.

"Russians Go Home!"

On November 4th, 1956, Soviet tanks moved in to Budapest, beginning a bloody battle that would cost more than 2,500 Hungarians their lives, including the leader of the revolutionary government, Imre Nagy. The fighting was block by block in the streets of Budapest, causing enormous damage to the city's infrastructure. 

During the fighting, revolutionaries rallied under the cry that the West would send help soon. After all, Radio Free Europe had for some time been broadcasting messages into the country, encouraging Hungarians to stand up for their freedom and implying that a rebellion would be supported by American forces. Little did the Hungarians know that the United States had no intention of getting involved in Hungary, lest it upset the very delicate entente between the two world superpowers. Historians still debate today what effect the broadcasts had on the revolution, but one thing is clear: up until the last day of fighting, revolutionaries were telling each other to hold out just a little bit longer--American aid would surely come soon. But the aid never came, and the last revolutionaries were stamped out by November 11th.

Destruction caused by the battle.

In the aftermath of the Revolution, a Soviet, Communist government was re-established in Budapest, and its policies were harshly enforced. Hundreds of Hungarians were executed for their involvement in the revolution. Imre Nagy, who had sought asylum in the Yugoslav Embassy, was assassinated as he tried to flee the country, despite a Soviet promise of safe passage. Tens of thousands of other Hungarians were arrested or imprisoned for their involvement, and hundreds of thousands fled the country never to come back. For more than three decades, under communism, speaking about the Revolution was outlawed. Even today, the Hungarian Revolution sparks controversy. It seems the wounds of the past have not yet healed. 

These days, October 23rd is commemorated as a national holiday in Hungary, with schools and businesses closed for observance. In preparation of the holiday, flags with holes in the middle have appeared all over Budapest.

In my quest to understand Hungary better, I thought that this was a good opportunity for me to pay a visit to the House of Terror, a museum and memorial to the horrors that occurred in Hungary under both the fascist Arrow Cross regime as well as under the Communist government. Inside the building, which served as the secret police headquarters for both the Arrow Cross and the Communist regimes, a three-story wall depicts the faces of the many victims who were interrogated, tortured, and murdered there. The haunting voices and videos of Hungarians sharing their harrowing stories follow you throughout the exhibits. At the middle of the museum is a rusted Soviet tank, a heavy reminder of a painful chapter in Hungary's history, accompanied by a plaque on the front of the building for the victims of the revolution.

The House of Terror

Plaque commemorating the heroes of the 1956 revolution.

The United States' role in the Hungarian revolution is still debated today. Would the revolutionaries have fought to the death if they had known help was not forthcoming? How much influence did Radio Free Europe and American anti-communist propaganda really have? These are questions we may never know the answer to. More Americans should know about the 1956 revolution. Hungarians will never forget it; the bullet holes can still be seen in many buildings today.

Building near my apartment with battle scars still clearly visible.

An Autumn Day on Margaret Island [Photos]

On Friday, I took a walk to Margaret Island, a large city park on an island in the Danube. It was so beautiful that I will let the photos speak for themselves.

In the Light Garden

The Rose Garden

The Rose Garden

Ruins of the Dominican Convent

In the Japanese Garden

On Margaret Bridge

Beautiful fall foliage!

A Morning in the Immigration Office (or not)

This is a story about how I did not spend the morning at the Hungarian immigration office.

I was supposed to spend my morning there, to file for my residence permit, but unfortunately I was missing one document. The guy at the check-in desk took one look at my files, and shook his head. Better luck another day!

So there I was, early in the morning on the other side of town, with no plans for the rest of the day. So, with nothing else to do, I began walking. I knew I was somewhere in the vicinity of the city's Városliget, or central park, and I headed in that direction.

I walked. And walked, and walked, and walked. For the longest time, I saw nothing to suggest a park in the vicinity except these two cats lounging in the grass.

I wondered where the city park might be, and I started to get the feeling that I was walking all the way around it -- but there was no entrance!

At one point, I looked down at my feet and thought "Is that elephant poop?" Now, I have seen a lot of animal poop in my life, and I felt pretty confident in my assessment of this particular feces. I wondered why there would be a pile of elephant poop in the middle of a Budapest sidewalk.

Well, my answer came when I rounded the corner. Turns out, I had not been walking around the park,  but around the Zoo, which is inside the park. I thought about going into the zoo, but I was more interested in exploring the city park itself. So, having finally found it, I crossed the street and was greeted by these lovely mermaids near the entrance to the park.

Doesn't look like they are super comfortable.

I walked past the mermaids, and was greeted by a view of a lovely castle.

Straight out of a fairytale!

This is Vajdahunyad Castle, and it's actually a faux-castle. It was built in 1896 to commemorate a thousand years of Hungarian history, and different sections showcase architectural styles from throughout Hungarian history. Originally, it was built of wood and cardboard, but Hungarians loved it so much that it was reconstructed from stone in the early twentieth century, and now is a permanent fixture in the park that houses the Agriculture museum.

Another view of Vajdahunyad. I love how the foliage is growing on the building, although I'm fairly certain it's not supposed to be like that.

I spent most of the next hour wandering around the castle and around the park itself. It was a beautiful day, and there were lots of people walking their dogs, having picnics, and enjoying the fresh air.

As I walked, I kept looking for the lake that I had seen in photos and maps of the park, but I couldn't seem to find it. I kept running into this parking-lot looking thing instead. You can't see it in this photo, but there were a bunch of utility trucks and workers in reflective vests wandering around.

The "Lake"?

It finally dawned on me that this was the lake, and it had been drained. Every year, this large area gets turned into a giant open-air ice skating rink, so that's what they must have been working on. I made a mental note to come back here when the rink is open. I might even bring my ice skates back from the U.S.! I love skating.

Having exhausted my time in the park, but not my wandering-energy, I made my way out of the park and down Andrássy Ut. This is a large boulevard where many countries have their embassies. I walked down the green median, noting the different embassies, like Serbia, Turkey, Bulgaria, and more.

Further down, Andrássy turns into one of Budapest's main shopping streets where most of the luxury shops are. As I walked, I looked through the windows at all the fancy watches, fur coats, and jewelry that I will never, ever be able to afford.

However, just a few steps later, I found a shop that did have something I could afford and also wanted. It was the perfect way to finish my morning walk.

Yum!

Well, my morning in the immigration office turned into a three hour walk through Budapest, which was much more pleasant anyway. But now it means that I'll have to go back to the immigration office next week...

October Field Trip! Herend and Tihany

Every month, Fulbright organizes an excursion for grantees. It's great that they do that, because it provides a chance to see more of Hungary and also gives us time to reconnect with one another. Yesterday we had our very first excursion, and it was wonderful! (Except that we had to meet at 8 a.m... that was not wonderful. I have grown accustomed to sleeping in.)

We piled into the bus, and drove out to the countryside. Our first stop was Herend, the largest porcelain manufactory in the world. For hundreds of years, Herend has produced fine porcelain pieces with extremely delicate hand-painted designs on it. We were able to take a tour to show us how the pieces are made, from start to finish.

First, talented potters mold the clay into plates, cups, vases, etc. They also add handmade decorations, such as flowers. The piece is fired, glazed, and fired again, giving it the white, translucent look that is characteristic of fine porcelain.

Next, an artist stencils on the design using coal, and begins to paint the colorful patterns that are characteristic of Herend. If just one mistake is made, the piece is destroyed.

The final result is an enormous collection of intricately painted pieces. Breathtaking!

 The pieces at Herend were stunning! I am generally not a details-oriented person, so the idea of painstakingly slaving away over a single piece for several days is mind-boggling to me. It also helped me to understand why the only thing I could afford in the gift shop was a tiny dish, about the size of a half-dollar. Even this small object was hand-painted to perfection, making it worth the $8.

My small memento from Herend. Look at the detail in the butterflies legs and antennae!

The best part of the Herend tour was that, at the end, we got to eat at the restaurant from real Herend porcelain. The food was as delicious as the plates were beautiful! Sweet potato soup, chicken salad, and coffee with rétes (strudel) for desert. Yum!

Tihany Abbey

After eating our fill, we waddled back on to the bus, and made the short journey to the Tihany peninsula of Lake Balaton. The lake is considered the "Riviera of Hungary" and is where many Hungarians spend their summer vacations. No wonder, too -- it's beautiful, with blue-green water surrounded by rolling hills.

The volcanic soil in and around Tihany is particularly good for growing lavender, so everything in the village shops is lavender-scented or made with lavender. Lavender everywhere! We all sat down to enjoy a nice cold lavender beer -- although, as one of my colleagues so eloquently put it, "It really only tastes like lavender when you burp."

The main attraction in Tihany is the Tihany Abbey, a still-functioning benedictine monastery dating back to the mid-11th century. The crypt underneath the abbey houses the grave of King András, one of Hungary's earliest kings. The abbey itself stands at the highest point of the village, looking out over the crystal-clear waters of Lake Balaton.

No place better for a selfie!

After spending some time wandering around Tihany village, it was time to make the two hour drive back to Budapest. After a long and exhausting day, we were tired and hungry, so a bunch of us made plans to go out and eat good ol' American style burgers for dinner. As if giving us a parting gift, on the drive back to Budapest, we got to witness a beautiful sunset from the comfort of the bus.

I am already looking forward to the next field trip!