Happy Independence Day!

This week in Budapest we didn't shoot off fireworks or have a BBQ or wear red, white and blue.  It was a day like any other in July - a hot one in the middle of the week.  But this week we did visit Momento Park, a museum containing the remains of Communist statues throughout Hungary.  With this visit and my own country's celebration this week, it got me thinking about freedom.  Not just in my home country, but in so many countries around the world that have experienced oppression.  (Some that still are.)

In 1945 Russia liberated Hungary from the Nazis.  

Soviet communism took root. 

A statue of Stalin erected in Budapest
when the Soviets took power.

In 1956 Hungarians rebelled against their oppressors.

For several months they fought, only to be demolished by military force in the end.

October 1956 Hungarians tore down the metal statue of Stalin,
cutting him at the legs and pulling him down by the neck.

Communism under Soviet control continued until 1989.

Freedom was not immediate, but a new Hungary arose in 1990.

And Communist statutes and memorials were removed from cities and towns.

Stalin's feet are all that remain today.
Picture taken July 3, 2013 in Momento Park, Budapest.

 Today you can find the remains of these Communist artifacts
at Momento Park in Budapest.

We visited this week...

So many countries have been ruled by others.  Some countries are still being oppressed... South Sudan, Somalia, Turkmenistan, South Korea.  Some are overthrowing their dictators this week... Egypt.  On this American Independence Day I want to celebrate with all countries who have overcome and pray for those who are in the midst of overcoming.  Happy Independence Day!

Hungary in the news

The latest headlines...

Hungary's parliament approves new rules restricting public use of swastika, red star

Pedal power: Budapest's bustling bike culture

Large crowd protests anti-Semitism in Budapest

And the World's Best Jump Roper - Adrienn Banhegyi

Not just a Hungarian issue

This week our land-lady told us that our neighbors were uncomfortable with us having black people over to our house.  They were concerned with safety in the building.  I stared at her, "OH MY GOSH! You are kidding me!"  Both Will and I stood there with this naive idea bouncing around in our heads, trying to make some sense of it.  "Yeah Hungary," I responded with sarcasm.

Since this conversation, the prejudice issue has been a topic of conversation between us and our land-lady, us and foreign friends, and Will and The Neighbor.  Our land-lord, who is a super nice Hungarian lady, explained the issue quite well in an email:

Xenophobia is a problem in Hungary but very much so because most of the people live in a very homogenous context, never in touch either with people of any color or different cultural habits, or even disabled in any way, so they just do not really know how to relate to that - and it is very much different to grow up in such a multicultural, melting-pot society as yours.  I know the difference as we lived in the States almost for 2 years, had Eszter (daughter) go to school there and it made a world of difference... e.g. you know how we are, but I have to tell you that I remember that Eszter was about 3 when she saw a black guy on the bus first time in her life and was quite scared of him, which made me very embarrassed.  On the other hand, imagine how unique it was for her then... It is unimaginable in the US but in fact most other Western European countries.  But also, I bet that in our village none of the kids my son's age have ever seen a black or Chinese or Indian person in their lives.  Or a blind one.  When we lived in the States (or even first landed in Paris or London), it was really a very dramatic, revelational experience for me.  Or having a black friend in Colorado when we lived there.  But most people never had such a hands-on experience.  I am sure that now so many people, especially young ones studying and working abroad, it will change.

I understand that Hungary is a very homogenous culture.  But having grown up in an all white community myself, it makes me even less sympathetic to this thinking.  I think our neighbor is another example of the prejudice so interwoven a much of Hungarian society.  And Hungary is not alone.  Many countries and cultures (even my own) have issues of prejudice, which let's be honest, are created out of  ignorance and the unknown.  However, I also think that our land-lady is right - the next generation can change it.  In Hungary.  In America.  Across the world.

A stranger's helping hand

Tonight on the way home from work I watched a mom with two kids and a baby in a buggy getting on the tram.  A man on the tram grabbed the two kids (about 3 or 4 years old) and pulled them up the tram steps while another guy grabbed the front of the buggy to pull it on.  The mama settled herself and her kids into the tram seats.  I thought... "In an America city, if some guys grabbed a lady's kids like that, she would freak out."  I love that Hungary still has that helping-hand-I'm-not-here-to-kidnap-your-kids mentality.  I'm realizing that all those people who stare at me on the tram are really just watching out for the strangers around them.  A great cultural trait!

Voices from Hungary

Bronze shoes along the Danube.
A Holocaust memorial.

"A significant part of the Roma are unfit for coexistence.  They are not fit to live among people.  These Roma are animals and behave like animals."

This was a recent quote from a Hungarian politician.  He's part of the political party that holds the most power in Hungary right now, the political party that conservative Hungarians support.  The theme of prejudice and anti-semitism is becoming more and more prevalent in Hungary.  As I read article after article and hear some Hungarian co-workers express their pro-government stance for this current administration, it scares me to death.  Their words sound a lot like those that led to the execution of millions of Europeans in the 1940s.  In a country that survived Nazi invasion and Russian communist control within the last 70 years... In a country that houses a Holocaust Museum and The House of Terror...  In a country that has memorials throughout the city, bronze baby shoes on the edge of the river to remind themselves of the innocent who were killed and thrown away... It baffles me that people actually still think this way.  A lot of people.  And I'm scared to think what all this hateful talk and thinking might lead to.

Recent News in Hungary

Hope?

Hungary is putting in its entry for the "international films" category at the Academy Awards.  It's about the persecution of the Roma in Hungary.

Roma Movie "Just the Wind" for Oscars

Could this be a step in the right direction?  Someone is making a good choice.  Gives me hope that some people who make important decisions are bringing light to the persecution of Hungary's minority. 

Jewish Hungary

Many people don't know that Hungary once had one of the largest populations of Jewish people in Europe.  Until a group of terrorists rounded them up and shipped them to their deaths.  In Budapest I've heard it said that one in every five people killed at Auschwitz was Hungarian.  At one time Hungary was the last place Jewish refugees fled to in Europe until the Nazis invaded this final escape and hope.  Memorials throughout Budapest honor and remind us that these horrors happened.  Synagogues are still hidden throughout the city, part of apartment courtyards, unnoticeable unless you're looking.  The Old Jewish Ghetto still serves kosher food to its community.  The Grand Synagogue gives tours to help us never forget.

Yet sixty years later anti-semitism still plagues Hungary.  Prejudice seems to be a common theme amongst politicians and rioters, co-workers and friends.  The craziest part?  Many of those politicians who align themselves with these openly anti-semantic political parties are discovering they are actually Jewish too.  A mother, a grandfather, a relative who escaped, a grandparent who died in a concentration camp.

A recent article, A Letter From Budapest, reiterated how serious this issue really is.  How seriously people fear and hope and hate and want change.  Read it.  It's really worth it: A Letter From Budapest.

Every Country is Patriotic

Born an American.  Grew up an American.  Lived most of my 20's in America.  I understand that most Americans think it an American duty to be patriotic.  But what a lot of Americans don't understand is that all countries are patriotic.  Chinese are proud to be Chinese, striving to help their country be a world leader.  Kenyans are proud to be Kenyan, happy in meager circumstances or grand, one of the first things you learn about a Kenyan is the tribe they come from.  And Hungarians.  After years of being occupied, dictated, ruled, Hungarians want to just be Hungary - ruled by their own people, for their own people.  Proud of their heritage and their complicated language that no one else can seem to learn well, Hungarians are as patriotic as they come.  I was reminded of this by a recent news article.

After living abroad for a few years now, I have come to appreciate patriotism in all its forms, in all its countries, by all its people.  Americans, you're not the only ones who love their country.  It's something we should all remember.

No Power

Today the town of Nagykovacsi, where my school is located, was doing some electrical work. So we were without power all day at school - no computers, no email, no projectors, no lights, no internet. We knew about it in advance. We made our copies the day before. We planned to teach with no computers or projector or internet access. We opened the curtains to let in light. We went on with business as usual (for the most part). And still the complaints!

"I don't like this no electricity thing."

"No computers?!"

"School should have been canceled."

That was all from teachers. Really?! Give me a break. Go to most countries in the world and you don't get advanced warning about power outages. My comment to a colleague moving to China next year when he was frustrated was, "Get used to it."

For me, teaching with the power out made me a bit nostalgic today - an "I miss Kenya" moment. Hearing all the complaints made me miss my old co-workers who would laugh about their interrupted lesson due to black outs and my students who wouldn't blink an eye as generators roared to life, cut off, roared, cut off. Ahhh... How different my life is than it was 9 months ago.

A little boy on the tram

Today Will and I sat across from a small boy and his mother on the tram. We sat quietly for awhile, as is common on the Budapest tram. Even the three year old sat silently in his seat, looking out the window. Then Will and I began quietly chatting about this and that. The boy looked at us and smiled. He proceeded to point his small finger in our faces and chatter away to his mother about us. I have no idea what he was saying, but it was obvious he realized we were not Hungarian or not Hungarian speakers or strange because of the way we were talking. His mom seemed a little embarrassed at first, but Will and I just smiled back and laughed at the cuteness of this kid. How is it that a little boy can identify the difference of these foreigners sitting next to him? Culture and language are interesting aspects of life that even a three year old gets a kick out of. I wonder what he was thinking and saying... (I need to learn Hungarian!)

The Winds of Lent

Standing at recess duty Friday, Anna (a Hungarian co-worker) and I chatted about Spring Break, students, and of course, the weather. Last week we were stripping off our jackets as the sun shined and warmed us. But this week was different. It got cold! And WINDY! And I was not prepared in my hopeful spring shoes. Anna told me the "Winds of Lent" come every year before Easter in Hungary. As Easter brings new life and rebirth, the Winds bring new air, blowing away the remnants of winter. I thought this was a very beautiful idea, but I hope they hurry up and blow it all away because I'm ready for that spring weather to come back! Come on Easter! Goodbye Lent!

A Glimpse

Our beautiful city...

It is a privilege to live in Budapest. Thank you, Hungary, for having open doors.

Blowing Noses

In America people will quietly blow their noses in public.

In Hungary people will loudly honk their noses in public.

In China people blow their noses and loogies onto the street.

Koreans will not blow their noses in public - my students ask to leave the room to blow.

In America we keep our snot on a handkerchief or kleenex and save it in our pockets.

In China people do not keep a snotty rag in their pockets. Gross!

Whether it's loud or quiet, in our pockets or onto the street, private or public, what is considered polite nose-blowing etiquette is cultural. So it's no use getting grossed out when the person next to you on the tram blows a super loud snot ball onto a tissue about 10 inches from your face. It's cultural!

It's cold in Budapest!

When I looked at the temperature on Friday, it was colder in Budapest than my home town in Alaska. Winter has come to Hungary!

On Saturday morning it started snowing...

And it kept snowing all day...

We went out and enjoyed it...

A little stroll...

A little shopping...

A little time with friends...

Sunday night is supposed to bring 3 or 4 more inches...

Everyone is hoping for a snow day at school...

I'm not holding my breath...

But I am enjoying the snow in this beautiful city!

Looking through another lens

Today I had a really good conversation with a Hungarian friend. She was talking about attending the pro-governement rally last weekend (see previous post) and very candidly expressed her frustration with the Western world putting pressure on Hungary about their new constitution. She explained to me that "liberal" has a completely different meaning in Hungary than in the West. In Hungary liberal means people for the old politics - communism and nazism. Wow! That's definitely a different meaning than my Western terminology. As she continued to express her views, I began to understand more and more that Hungary is not a Western country. It looks Western on the outside, with its well-paved roads, big shopping centers, fast food, and white people everywhere. But on the inside, people look through a very different lens than my Western one.

Only 20 years ago Hungary was controlled by Communists from Russia, before that it was the Nazis, before that they lost half their country to political map changes, before that the Hapsburgs, before that the Turks and Mongols and all sorts of invaders. Naturally, this history effects the view of Hungarians. After years of oppression and dictators, they finally get to do what THEY want to do with their country. And they should.

When I moved to Budapest, I expected Hungarians would view the world somewhat similarly to me, especially in comparison to my previous experiences in China and Kenya. I expected big differences in Asia and Africa. But Europe? I've been surprised. In a good way.

From my Western perspective, I disagree with many things in the Hungarian constitution. But when I try to take a look through a Hungarian lens, I understand a bit more why the nation is supporting some of these things. If I were Hungarian, I may have attended the pro-government rally too.

Always willing to learn another person's perspective.

Patriotism in Hungary

On Saturday night I got on the tram, a regular night out with friends, but as I stepped on the tram, there wasn't much room for me. Most of the seats and standing room were filled with elderly people wearing ribbons and holding flags. "Must be people coming from another protest," Will comment. He was right. Budapest holds many more protests than the America I once lived in (pre-Occupy Wall Street) and definitely more than Kenya (post-election violence). I've stumbled upon more than one during a walk through the city in the last six months. Although I wasn't present at the recent pro-government rally in down-town Budapest, I thought this Brit's view of the event was interesting. Check out his blog post: Politics by Candlelight, Budapest Rally.

Esztergom

A day trip from Budapest is one of the oldest cities in Hungary. People first settled there about 350 B.C. Birth place of King Stephen, the man who founded Hungary. Home of the largest basilica in the country. Religious and political center for centuries. Captured by everyone (Turks, Habsburgs, this king, that king), except the Mongols. Castle built in 1009. The city is rich in history.

We decided to go there after seeing the towering basilica on our way home from Slovakia two weeks ago. It looked so strange from the train seeing this HUGE domed building in the middle of nowhere. After a little research Will found it was Esztergom. So off we went on Saturday with some friends.

One of the wonderful things about Europe is public transportation! We hopped the train for $6 round trip, traveled a little over an hour through small towns and farms to get to this:

A beautiful church. "The St. Peter's Basilica of Hungary." And it does compare to Rome. It's situated on a hill overlooking the Danube. When we arrived in Esztergom, we meandered through the town's streets making our way toward the towering basilica.

It is a quaint town that was quite sleepy on a Saturday. Walking over cobble stone streets, we noticed a narrow alley that went up the hill. We turned onto the street and began walking up. Up stairs. Through doors. Up more stairs. Through some more castle doors.

And we came to the top to see a spectacular view.

At this bend in the Danube River, Hungary sits on one side (left) and Slovakia (right) on the other. A bridge connects two countries with completely different cultures and drastically different languages. It still baffles me that Europe has maintained such distinct cultures and languages in such a small area of the world.

Castle Hill had much to see when we arrived. The castle. The basilica. The view. Some artwork.

But the most interesting to me was the crypt.

We went under the church to the vast crypt. Parts of it were beautiful with high vaulted ceilings and pictures of Pope John Paul II's visit there. Other parts were creepy, dark halls that went to the gated unknown. I got a little freaked out. But it was amazing to see graves that had been there since the 1400's (like the picture above).

A little history. Beautiful church. Some snow. Some sun. A fun day trip in Hungary.

Is this convincing anyone to come to Hungary in 2012?

Things happening in Hungary

Well, it's not about kidnappings or car bombings, but Hungary's news is getting a bit heated lately. A new constitution was put into effect with the start of the new year. Basically it is being called an "unconstitutional constitution", even by the U.S. (Although I think some very right-wing U.S. republicans would support the current Hungarian Prime Minister's views. He's like Rick Santorum on conservative steroids.) The new laws include:

No rights for gay people.

No religions except the 10 or so recognized by the government. That means no Hinduism, Buddhism, or certain Christian denominations.

Government controlled media.

And various other human rights violations (the media says).

In all honesty, I don't understand everything the new laws do or don't allow, but I do know that the U.S. and EU are up in arms about the whole thing. As well as Hungarians, of course. New Years Eve was celebrated by many here with a protest, rather than fire works and champagne. From what I've read, I would protest too. It seems like the current Hungarian leaders want to go back in time 30 years. But some Hungarians do too. It surprises me that in the 21st century there are still people who are so prejudice: anti-semitists, anti-gay, anti-Roma, anti-homeless. Unfortunately, it's true all over the world.

As my husband says, "Don't hate."

Cool Kids

A third grade conversation in reading group today:

"Falsely attractive is like the food on Vietnam airlines. They try to make it look good, but it's not."

"Ya, in Turkey it's like that too because they try to sell designer bags, but the rhinestones just fall off."

How many countries can we mention when talking about one vocabulary word? My kids are so cool! And the best part is... traveling the world is so normal for them, part of their every day lives. I love it!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

The last three Christmases looked like this:

80 degrees, a nice sun tan, swimming pools, and flowers blooming never quite felt like Christmas for this Alaska girl.

This year Christmas looks like this:

Christmas markets, mulled wine, lights hung, wooly hats, my HUGE new warm parka... It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. And feel like it too... Brrr! But my first European Christmas definitely puts me in the Christmas spirit! It's even inspired the making of 5 stockings and a tree skirt (thank you pinterest).

Remember... While you wrap your gifts and prepare goodies for your families, please keep praying that my friend Jess is freed from Somalia to be with her family for Christmas.