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.

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!

My Daily Routine

A friend teaching in Singapore recently posted about her school week. It very closely resembles mine, so I'll quote her here:

Wake up.

Drink coffee (for me it's sit on the tram for 40 minutes).

Work.

Work.

Work.

Eat.

Sleep.

Wake up.

Sit on the tram for 40 minutes.

Work.

Work.

Work.

Eat.

Sleep.

Wake up...

You get the picture. I'm TIRED! I got my first cold of the school year. I go to bed at 9pm. I don't even have energy to read before falling asleep. Starting school is always a shocker to the system. (I honestly don't know how people do this job and have a family!) Despite all of that, I have a great little class. I love my school. I work with cool people. It's still sunny and warm here. My dear husband takes good care of me! I'm having fun exploring the city on the weekends. And I get to sleep in tomorrow.

Thank goodness it's FRIDAY!

Beginning...

Day 1 in Budapest:

Arrived at the airport in the morning with a taxi waiting for us.

Found our new home and waited a few minutes outside for someone to meet us (since we actually had no idea what number flat was ours and couldn't ring them from the door).

The landlady welcomed us, showed us around, and discussed details. One major perk... She speaks great English!

We hit the bank to exchange money and pay the rest of our rent.

Then a lady from my school arrived with all kinds of treats: food, money, TP, map, metro passes, and a grocery list in Hungarian and English. The essentials. It was a very warm welcome!

After everyone left the house, we kicked off our shoes and rested a bit before heading off to explore and get some necessary items.

We strolled the streets across the bridge to a HUGE shopping center. Shopping! I am in fashion heaven (not that it takes much for me after three years in Kenya). Some of our first purchases: pillows, laundry soap, dishwashing soap, sponges, hair dryer and curling iron. (The hair electronics weren't necessary but why not? I didn't own a curling iron in Kenya, so this will be kinda fun.)

We came back to the flat, took a long nap, woke up for dinner at an unexpected find, Marxim, a communist themed pizza and beer restaurant.

The night ended with a walk on the Buda side of town (our side) and our eyes closed before the slingbox movie was half over.

We were TIRED!

Day 2 in Budapest:

Woke up after sleeping like logs, ate some yogurt and cereal, then headed out for some shopping...

First, T-mobile for a cell phone SIM card. We have a Hungarian phone number now.

Second, off to IKEA! Where we were a bit overwhelmed since we have NOTHING and IKEA has EVERYTHING. So we decided to start with the basics: bed and blankets, couch, garbage cans, clothes drying rack, and two candles (to mask the somewhat strange scent left by the previous occupants of our flat). They will deliver it all tomorrow afternoon (Day 3). New stuff! Exciting!

Last, grocery shopping. Tacos for dinner tonight - our first legitimate meal in the new abode.

I think we've gotten off to a good start. Slowly we're finding our way around and making this home. We have a long way to go, but even today I got to use some of my VERY limited Hungarian (thanks to YouTube) by saying "Angolul?" (English?) No English, so the next word, "Segitsig." (Help.) With a lot of gesturing and these two simple words, I got the IKEA guy to help us move a bed box. "Kosonom!" (Thank you!)

We're on our way...! :)