This weekend the first visitors after my parents arrived: my dear friends Marianne and Suzanne! After them, people will keep coming.
My sweet friend Lotte in the beginning of the December, then my brother and his friend for New Year's Eve and finally my cousin to spend my last weekend here with me! Until now, it was a good start of the visitors marathon =D but let me first tell you what else I did in the past two weeks:
Tuesday, 15th of November 2011 - Corvinus Egyetem, Budapest
At this very moment, I am waiting for my friend Mona to arrive. She studies in California, has lived the whole of her life before that in Hong Kong, but is of Indian origin. That last part is exactly where it gets most interesting for me ;) I loooooooove Indian food and she has made me some! So, I hope she will be here soon!
Yesterday, I went to the market hall with Annie do to shopping for our extensive cooking for the language course girls. She is used to 'cooking' with the micro wave back home, so she had some really great ideas, but just needed some assistance on the actual preparing. Especially, I was there to calm her down about hygienic differences between the United States and Hungary.. hihi.
At this very moment, I am waiting for my friend Mona to arrive. She studies in California, has lived the whole of her life before that in Hong Kong, but is of Indian origin. That last part is exactly where it gets most interesting for me ;) I loooooooove Indian food and she has made me some! So, I hope she will be here soon!
Yesterday, I went to the market hall with Annie do to shopping for our extensive cooking for the language course girls. She is used to 'cooking' with the micro wave back home, so she had some really great ideas, but just needed some assistance on the actual preparing. Especially, I was there to calm her down about hygienic differences between the United States and Hungary.. hihi.
Also, we got hooked on skating! I do not know why, but I used to sincerely hate skating, which is considered to be really weird by all the others here.. "You are Dutch? Why did you not like skating?" Well, I do now! The mystery is still not solved, but that does not matter. I Love Skating! Until now, we skated on a court up on the West End Mall, but hopefully the beautiful and romantic one in city park will soon be open!
Thursday, 17th of November - Liszt Ferenc Ter, Budapest
Yesterday, we had a really nice dinner with the girls from Corvinus. Some of them I had not seen properly in a while, because of all the travelling. It was really nice to catch up with them. Also, we got to talk about family relations and it makes me realize everytime how lucky I am with mine =) Most of the others have nice families too, but I really appreciate the bond we have together, even more now that I am away for so long. That is why I am really excited for my brother to come see Budapest at the end of December!
Sunday, 20th of November - Liszt Ferenc Ter, Budapest
Some interesting events the last couple of days! First, on Friday we decided to go to the non-existing museum of contemporary architecture. It is always so nice here in Hungary, to find all these wonderful, exciting and mind-blowing non-existing places...
At night, me and Emma went to have chocolate fondue with Anita, one of the organizers of our language course. However, our favourite chocolate bar Noir was closed. Instead of it being a disappointment, it was a very delightful change of scenery! Anita took us to a place called 'Sugar' and for those of you who know me a little better: that sounded like music to my ears! I have a real sweet tooth and this was heaven! I ate a cake in the shape of an Hamburger, some maccaroons and a strawberry shake. Sweet dinner is totally underestimated ;) The reason of our meeting was me interviewing Anita for my History project. I talked with her about the life of her mother under the Kádár regime. It was really horrible, since Anita's grandfather had participated in the 1956 revolution and was therefore hated by János Kádár. Her mother could not go to university and every year in October, the anniversary of the revolution, her father was taken away again and treated really bad. It was a really impressive story..!!
Yesterday, me and Emma finally went to the forrest up on the Buda hills. It was good to breath in some fresh air again and I am definitely gonna go to our forrest more often when I am back in the Netherlands! After some studying, we went to Ben's place to make and eat pizza's. However, since our ovens are not the newest ones ever.. well, it was a good effort ;) Probably it was good we did not eat too much, since at night it was time to put on our bikini's! Bath party in Gellert Spa! We were extremely enthusiastic about it. Especially, since I was expecting something like SpringBreak in Tilburg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-9HUJLHMuo) It was a little disappointing. The bath was beautiful, the architecture was amazing.. but the water was just too cold. Only the really drunk people were dancing in the main party bath, while the others were crammed in the small 36 degrees pool..
Today was all about studying, more ice-skating and finally: Indian food! In the beginning of the week it had not worked out with meeting Mona (phone batteries dying, no credit..), so tonight she made me some lovely Dahl. I believe I am even going to dream about it tonight!
At night, me and Emma went to have chocolate fondue with Anita, one of the organizers of our language course. However, our favourite chocolate bar Noir was closed. Instead of it being a disappointment, it was a very delightful change of scenery! Anita took us to a place called 'Sugar' and for those of you who know me a little better: that sounded like music to my ears! I have a real sweet tooth and this was heaven! I ate a cake in the shape of an Hamburger, some maccaroons and a strawberry shake. Sweet dinner is totally underestimated ;) The reason of our meeting was me interviewing Anita for my History project. I talked with her about the life of her mother under the Kádár regime. It was really horrible, since Anita's grandfather had participated in the 1956 revolution and was therefore hated by János Kádár. Her mother could not go to university and every year in October, the anniversary of the revolution, her father was taken away again and treated really bad. It was a really impressive story..!!
Yesterday, me and Emma finally went to the forrest up on the Buda hills. It was good to breath in some fresh air again and I am definitely gonna go to our forrest more often when I am back in the Netherlands! After some studying, we went to Ben's place to make and eat pizza's. However, since our ovens are not the newest ones ever.. well, it was a good effort ;) Probably it was good we did not eat too much, since at night it was time to put on our bikini's! Bath party in Gellert Spa! We were extremely enthusiastic about it. Especially, since I was expecting something like SpringBreak in Tilburg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-9HUJLHMuo) It was a little disappointing. The bath was beautiful, the architecture was amazing.. but the water was just too cold. Only the really drunk people were dancing in the main party bath, while the others were crammed in the small 36 degrees pool..
Today was all about studying, more ice-skating and finally: Indian food! In the beginning of the week it had not worked out with meeting Mona (phone batteries dying, no credit..), so tonight she made me some lovely Dahl. I believe I am even going to dream about it tonight!
Tuesday, 22nd of November - Liszt Ferenc Ter, Budapest
Yesterday, I went to the Christmas Market with Annie. She had spend some days in Germany, so I was really curious how she liked it. I also went clothing shopping with her, because she wanted some good guidelines on how to shop. "Do not buy an item that does not fit with at least 2 or 3 other things in your closet." "If you are on a low budget, invest in tops instead of pants since it is a much more obvious change of outfit." "You NEED at least one good blazer." etc. etc. Glad I was able to help her out
again! =)
At night, Ashley had a very good idea: cheap cocktails and karaoke at Morrisons' Opera! Perfect! Only thing was that it took me about four hours and twelve cups of tea this morning to get my voice
working again. It was repared just in time for my History presentation, which went very well. Several students came up to me after class saying how impressed they were to hear my story. Always really nice to hear!
Tonight, I am going to Mona's birthday dinner and tomorrow night I will be going to Vera's! I can already tell you now that it will be loads of fun!!
Thursday, 24th of November - Liszt Ferenc Ter, Budapest
I was right! Both birthdays were great. Lovely meal, lovely people and lovely party afterwards! Now, I am just a couple of minutes away from departing to the airport.. Mar and Suus are in Budapest!!!!!
Monday, 28th of November - Liszt Ferenc Ter, Budapest
What a great weekend! The girls were really glad I had not changed much: When I arrived on the airport (20 minutes late, because Hungarian trains sometimes just decide to just stand still for no particular reason), I decided to sneak up on them and jump on their shoulders. Of course, I should not have done that. The floor was slippery and I fell flat on my back in the middle of the airport.. so typical! =P It was really mixed seeing them again. On the one hand it felt like it had been ages that I had seen them, but on the other it seemed so normal having them around again.
After visiting my flat, meeting Geran and putting their stuff down, we went for lunch in the Hummus Bar. All kinds of stories were exchanged and we could not stop talking. Later, we went for sight seeing on Buda hill. It was a pity that there was so much fog. Budapest mostly has clear blue skies, but it was not meant for us this weekend. In the evening, we went to the guys' flat to have Thanksgiving Dinner with the people from the language course. It was really nice to see my friends have such a good time with some of the people that are really important to me here. Later, we went to Szimpla, which sort of blew their minds. They had not expected this style of bar and needed some adjustment time to it, but eventually really liked it!
After visiting my flat, meeting Geran and putting their stuff down, we went for lunch in the Hummus Bar. All kinds of stories were exchanged and we could not stop talking. Later, we went for sight seeing on Buda hill. It was a pity that there was so much fog. Budapest mostly has clear blue skies, but it was not meant for us this weekend. In the evening, we went to the guys' flat to have Thanksgiving Dinner with the people from the language course. It was really nice to see my friends have such a good time with some of the people that are really important to me here. Later, we went to Szimpla, which sort of blew their minds. They had not expected this style of bar and needed some adjustment time to it, but eventually really liked it!
The next day, the only thing we actually did was shopping 0=) Our mission was shoes. Shoes, shoes, shoes. As always, when you are on a clear mission, you do not find anything. No shoes. What we did find were crowns for the evening. The guys' had organised a flat party with the theme 'United States, the most/least awesome country in the world', so we decided to dress up as Misses. Suus was Miss Minnesota, since that is where the most natural blondes live. I was Miss Illinois, since apparently I have a Chicago accent, and Marianne was Miss Colorado, because she is very fond of skiing. Altough Landon did not like our/my choice for Colorado, it was still a great party. People dressed up as cheerleaders, cowboys and some girls wearing a self made fatsuit; perfect! Around one o'clock we left to go to the second episode of the Balkan Beats Party at the A38 boat. The girls loved it just as much as I did the first time. Also, we ran into a big delegation for Tilburg University visiting one of the other Dutchies.. It's a small world after all!
On saturday morning, we went to the House of Terror on Andrássy Utca. In this building, the Arrow Cross Party has been imprisoning, torturing and killing many people during fascist and communist regimes of the twentieth century. It is now a very impressive museum. After this, we went to see St. Stephen's Basilica and have dinner in my favorite káveház. Then, it was time for my birthday present to the both of them: Széchenyi Bath! It was really beautiful to now see it at sunset and in the dark. Also, because it was around zero degrees outside, the warm pools were so extremely satisfying. I am really glad that the girls loved it as well. After dinner at For Sale, we ended up in our flat. Not partying, but talking until late in the night =) So lovely to have had them around.. It was a great weekend. The goodbye was not the part I preferred at all, but I will see them in about 3.5 weeks! Love you girls, see you soon!
And now normal life has started again. Well, normal: studying, studying, studying. Finals are coming up! So loads of things to do!
And now normal life has started again. Well, normal: studying, studying, studying. Finals are coming up! So loads of things to do!
Love, xx
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