Boo...

I haven't decided if she likes the snow or not.  She likes to watch it, but when I fastened her harness and leash on, she wanted nothing to do with the snow outside.  Perhaps it had to do with the fact that she was wearing a harness... but anyhow.  

She likes to sit in the window and watch the goings outside - it's like she's an old Hungarian woman.  Yikes!

Snow in Tata!

Yesterday in my 13A “English” class – I decided to listen to the kids and we had a snowball fight and built a snowman.  It was quite interesting, as one of the most excited participants was wearing heeled boots, nylons and a mini-skirt – but she was a trooper.  I made a snow angel on the front lawn of the school.  I’m pretty sure it’s been trampled by now, but I enjoyed making it.  I was also told that I had just passed Robert in “coolness” (Robert was the American teacher at my school last year).  I responded with “I’m pretty sure I passed him in coolness the day I showed up.”  Not being entirely serious of course. 

Tata "Dream Team"

It snowed again in Tata.  This would have been a welcome sight in December or January – but not at this late stage in February… (I know- all of you back in MN are thinking buck up Carla – but it was warm a couple of weeks ago – and now it’s freezing and snowy again).  I chatted with my 13A kids about this event and asked them about all the things I find to be weird about snow in Hungary.  First of all, they use umbrella’s to keep the snow out of their hair.  It makes sense I suppose, but I’ve never seen it.  Secondly, there was the re-surgence of the sawdust and mulch ice preventer… I just don’t get it.  Thirdly, they don’t know how to drive in the snow.  There are large orange bins out near the street corners, so you can get out of your car and sand the road if you feel it necessary.  There was a semi-truck yesterday morning who got stuck entering the round-a-bout and crossed the street with several handfuls of sand to try and get his semi unstuck.  It didn’t work.  Lastly, I blew their minds when I got to school and changed out of my boots into my shoes for school.  They just wear dress boots to school – they don’t care if they get wet and slushy or muddy on the way to school.  I for one, am not going to walk to school in heels or dress shoes – I’m all about the boots.  They’d never seen this before and thought that it was very “cute.”

These are pictures of the Tata “dream team” who were shoveling the round-a-bout as cars were driving on it – and who shoveled the bus stop as I was waiting for my bus to come.  I suspect they are the same group who rakes leaves in the fall, but they were doing a service and I appreciate them.  When I asked my 13A kids about who they were, one of my particularly bigoted boys responded with “I think they’re Gypsies” to which his buddy responded “they can’t be – they were working…”  oy.

Kőszeg pics

Reminiscing

The next day on our way home, we conversed about one of the songs from Harold and Kumar that all of us instantly started singing along with – but none of us could remember the name of the band or the singers.  We racked our brains and came up with “Carly Gibson” to only later remember that it was “Carnie Wilson” of Wilson-Phillips.  It was quite entertaining re-living the 80’s-90’s hits that I danced to in my teens- and the others on this trip (who are much younger than I) remember as songs that were “retro” to them in the late 90’s.  Good times!  What ever happened to Carnie Wilson? 

The second picture is of the "heater" in the Kőszeg train station... note the hay on the ground in front of it.

Kőszeg

Well, Valentine’s Day was an eventful one.  There were seven American girls in the small town of Kőseg.  It’s very near the Austrian border and because of this it is quite a tourist town.  It’s small and cute, and perfect for the Valentine’s Day holiday with your girlfriends.  Eliza lives in Kőseg so we were all staying with her.  It was a nice train ride from Tata- (after the skin head incident) just over three hours.  When we got to Kőseg, Eliza took us on a tour of the city – though it was short since it was MN cold and windy that day.  We saw the main city center and the church (Hungarian staples in any town) and then stopped for Falafel at Biego’s stand.  I haven’t mentioned Biego yet – but basically he was the highlight of the trip.  He’s an Armenian who lived in Germany and now Hungary (the whole story is quite long) and he has the falafel shop/stand in town.  He and his dad drove Eliza to the train station to pick us up when we arrived – and is apparently a great asset to Eliza in Kőseg.  He not only made great falafel, he entertained us with his questions and querys about the United States and young American girls.  He fell on my list of people who impressed me when he stated “you look older then the other girls, how old are you.”  Did I mention that he is 26 and could pass for 50?  At any rate, we finished our tour and headed back to Eliza’s for some classic American films – neither of which I had seen.  “10 Things I Hate About You” and “Harold and Kumar go to White Castle.”  They were both good films- many of my students have seen them too.  Afterwards, we headed out for a great dinner of pizza and beer – a classic Valentine’s meal?  Biego met us at the restaurant and continued to ask us why we were not married or didn’t have kids… quite an interesting perspective he has on American priorities.  He also managed to get me to commit to having my parents bring over every type of M&M available in the United States – not that I’ll ever see him again.  He is also fascinated with t-shirts.  He wants t-shirts from anywhere and everywhere, so he can be different and have something that no one else has.  He is quite entertaining – and must be nice for Eliza to have someone to hang out with… I have yet to find my Biego in Tata. 

 

After dinner, we went to another band for some “live music” as Biego called it.  It was a 65+ year old man, and what appeared to be his son – or maybe grandson.  They did a nice job and had lots of people dancing out on the dance floor, but the dancing crowd averaged a good 30 years my senior.  It didn’t matter – I wanted to dance.  So – I stepped up for the Credence Clearwater Revival songs, and the other ones that I knew, and I sat out on the Hungarian ones.  I seemed to be a one man show during many of the English songs, but Hanna came and danced too.  I hit it off with several older (elderly) Hungarian men as they took my arms and danced with me – but they were not really my Valentine’s type, so I didn’t hang with them for long.  It was a great night out!  

The pictures have the "band," Hanna and Biego, me holding a Rákóczi Ferenc bill, and the group.

Riding the train...

I have enjoyed riding the train here– it’s easy, direct and comfortable (most of the time).  I got on the train last week to travel to Kőseg, and for the first time was kind of afraid for my life.  I boarded as usual, in Tata, with other people.  That was no different than before, but there was a posse of people who happened to look a lot alike who also got on with me.  I’d say there were between 15 and 20 in this group, mostly men.  At the three stops it takes to get to Tatabanya, there were at least 15 or 20 more of these people who got on at each subsequent stop.  I knew they were together, because they all had on black boots to their knees with white laces, camouflage pants, black shirts and leather jackets. On their jackets and shirts were phrases of Hungarian pride – patches of the country, the flag, etc.  The thing that really made them stick out was that they all had little to no hair, which forced the deduction that they were in fact, Hungarian skin-heads.  So – I decided to call one of my friends and say “I think I’m on the train with Hungarian skin-heads” which was not one of my brightest moves since then their attention turned to the English speaking girl on the train.  I felt a bit relieved in that András Kovács (the cute gym teacher who says “good morning Sarah” at any time of day) was on the train too.  So I thought if anything were to happen to me, maybe he’d come to my rescue?  Or he’d just run fast in the other direction (he did the 2008 New York City Marathon in 2:38…).  One of them had a piece of Hungarian merchandise that I ABSOLUTELY need to find.  It was a scarf with Rákóczi Ferenc on it – and the guy put the head of Ferenc on top of his head, so it appeared to be a scary Hungarian man on top of a scary Hungarian man.  Lucky for me, once in Tatabanya, I had to change directions, so I got off the train.  Lord help me had I traveled all the way to Budapest with them… I guess there was some sort of big meeting in Budapest this weekend.  I was also told that since I’m white (meaning not a Gypsy) I wouldn’t have been harmed.  Who knows… it was the first time I feared for my life here in Hungary.  Yeesh.  Note the image of Ferenc...

Hungarians impress me

There are some things that Americans could take away from watching Hungarians. 

1.)   Each day, before the first lesson when students initially arrive to class, the girls double kiss each other, and the boys shake hands.  Every day – they greet each other and wish them a good day. 

2.)   The Hungarian “Bon Appetit” – any time people see you eating anything they wish you a good meal.  “Jo étvágyat”  If I’m eating a candy bar – “Jo étvágyat Carla”  When I’m eating a sandwich “Jo étvágyat Carla”  From the clerks at McDonald’s as they give me my food “Jo étvágyat”  The lunch lady as she hands me a Diet Coke “Jo étvágyat”  Strangers at the bus station as I’m eating pasta and have a cat in a cage sitting next to me “Jo étvágyat.”  I like this tradition.  They always ask me how we say that in English, and I have to reply that we don’t do things like that in the USA.  We borrow the French “Bon Appetit” but we don’t say it with any consistency. 

3.)   Chocolate – I love chocolate, and I have grown to appreciate chocolate more since I got here.  It’s like a Hungarian food group – it’s wonderful.  The thing I love most is that any time a Hungarian opens a chocolate bar they immediately break apart the chunks and offer you a small piece of chocolate.  Before they eat the chocolate that is rightfully theirs, they offer other people pieces. 

4.)   Respect for teachers.  Each time I approach a doorway, students either pause and let me go first, or hold the door open.  Several times they rush ahead to get the door for me -  perhaps it’s a respect for adults thing, but I enjoy it.  

Hungarian Love Story

Any day that I ride the 7:20 bus in the morning, I am witness to a cute little love crusade enacted by 10-12 year old kids.  I don’t know how old they are, and I have never been good at guessing ages, but they are in elementary school I know that.  There is a young girl, lets call her Sally, and she has two girlfriends that she hangs with at the bus stop.  Then there is a young boy, we’ll call him Joe, who hangs with his posse of boys.  They wait for the 7:20 bus every day, and whenever I’m there, I get to see a bit of elementary school love flowing.  Sally always arrives before Joe and his boys, and she waits and watches in the direction that he comes from.  When she sees him turn the corner, she always lets her friends know that he’s coming (quite honestly the friends could care less, but they are her wingmen, so they know they are supposed to at least act excited).  The first time I noticed their interactions was on a cold December morning.  Sally had one of her girls ask Joe if he had a Kleenex she could have.  Now, if you’ve been reading my blog with any consistency, you know that no Hungarian ever leaves home without an adequate supply of Kleenex- especially in these cold winter months.  It was a ploy to talk to them, but certainly not a subtle one.  I suppose they are only in elementary school so they don’t have the practice that many of us older folks have in “playing the games” of flirting.  Joe looked around at his friends – rolling his eyes, and pulled a Kleenex out of his pocket to give to Sally.  Her friend dutifully returned to her (because of course the groups stand about 10 feet apart watching each other) and gave her the Kleenex.  At that exact moment, Sally pulled a wad of Kleenex to the edge of her coat pocket and showed her friend and giggled.  She used the Kleenex for a fake wiping of her nose, and batted her eyes toward Joe in thanks.  The boys were of course talking about the girls and how stupid they are, and the girls decided that it was love – after all, he shared a Kleenex – that’s love isn’t it? 

The next encounter I witnessed (and they have been few and far between because lets be honest- if I can take the 7:40 bus and make it to class on time, why would I bother with the earlier bus?) involved Sally standing post at the expected 10 feet away from Joe – and them exchanging (not so subtle) glances with one another.  Often times, Sally will have her friends watch Joe’s group, and Joe always employs the help of his boys to watch Sally’s group.  Then they report back to each other – basically stating who is watching who. 

It’s funny to watch them once we get on the bus because they can NEVER get on the bus through the same entrance – then one might know that they like the other one – so the boys always get on in the middle, and the girls in the back.  They then proceed to glance at each other the entire trip to their elementary school.  I always go through the middle door as well, because there is more room to stand on the bus and I feel more comfortable there.  This also means that I get to be witness to the glancing that occurs on the bus ride.  I do have to point out that one reason I like standing by these boys is because one of them is a spitting image of Jonathan Taylor Thomas circa season 2 of “Tool Time.”  He’s the cutest little Hungarian boy who is thoroughly put off by the whole Sally Joe situation, and makes it quite clear to Joe.  He cracks me up. 

I managed to (not so sneakily) take a picture of the group the other morning… click on it so you can see the looks in their eyes.  I don’t know who the adult is in the photo- but I can tell you that she wears exercise clothes every time I see her at the bus stop.  Maybe she’s a gym teacher?  All the kids in the group know her, so I’m assuming she works at the school.  In the picture above “Sally” is the one with the blue hair band – she is looking at Joe who is wearing the blue hat.  Jonathan Taylor Thomas is in the white hat – unfortunately you can’t see how cute he is, but I can only be so creepy taking pictures of strange young children.  I wish I could understand more of their conversations so I could hear what they are really thinking… oh young love. 

If nothing else, I can throw a snowball...

Today I woke up to snow.  I was not that excited since last week it was over 40 degrees two or three of the days.  I thought we were working our way out of this wintery season.  Now, I know all of you in MN are thinking, it’s only February – and early February at that, BUT this is Hungary.  This is only the second time I’ve seen snow here, and it won’t stay – but it was still an unwelcome sight this morning.  At any rate, the snow was the perfect snowball kind- heavy, wet and ripe for packing into a phenomenal snowball.  In between my two ninth grade classes, some of the kids went outside to play in the snow.  I watched them from inside, as they packed and packed the snow, and threw it at each other.  I almost fell over laughing when they threw the snowballs though.  It was almost embarrassing, they were lobbing them as if they were slow pitch softballs – not firing them at their opponents so as to make a direct powerful hit.  I promptly stepped outside, packed a snowball of my own, and nailed Bence in the chest.  I was applauded from indoors- a temporary hero – and they learned quickly that kids from Minnesota don’t mess around with snowballs- we shoot to kill.  

Pâté connoisseurs at a young age?

I’m not exactly sure why, but they market pâté to young ones by using Scooby-Doo?  It’s decent pâté but it cracks me up that they put cartoon characters on this – sure sugary cereals and candies, but pâté?  I love this country.

Protective of American History

Boo enjoys sleeping in the most random places, on the remote, on top of a pad of post it notes… but one of her favorite places is to sleep on top of any books that I might be working with – particularly History ones!  Maybe she is protecting them from potential thieves… who knows.  

What a let down...

So this week was surprisingly calm compared to last week.  It went quickly, with little action on the school front.  I did have a meeting with the Headmistress, the head of my program, my department head, my contact teacher and the teacher who will replace me mid-year next year.  Basically from the meeting, I gleaned that they wanted to make sure that he was good enough for the job.  They complimented my work at the school and questioned him about the content he has taught and his experience.  It seems like he is a "lifer" here in Hungary - or at least in International teaching.  He has been here for two years already, and committed to a year and a half with my school.  He's quite jealous of the setup I have, and is eager to get to Tata I think.  My kids seem excited that I get to stay, and I know that I am.  I have spent some time recently trying to solidify what I want to do this summer, as I'm in Europe.  There are a couple different teaching things I could do, but I have this cat I have to worry about, so a 4 week trip to Poland might be out of the question, but who knows.  It's early still.  I am also trying to plan my the trip my parents and I will take when they get here - lots of little things to do, but nothing that keeps me too busy.  

pics from Campaign week

Pictures – the king from 12D trying to earn votes in a class by performing an acrobatic stunt.  The shooting exhibition – yes – they were shooting cans on campus with real guns as a between class highlight. Tomi and Zolí trying to earn votes with a ukulele and treats.  Massages in-between classes on behalf of 12 C.  Tomi and Bette trying to earn votes with chocolate.  All 6 classes in the gym to learn who was elected student king.  Competition between teams to try and pass the rings using straws.  12 D offering free “taxi” rides from building to building – notice Kata the choir director in the wheelbarrow- what a sport.  A kocsma sponsored by Viktor – a kocsma is a bar in Hungarian… another routine to entertain in-between classes – break dancers in argyle… that’s all I have to say.  Yet another “program” to entertain the kids – the Hungarian Globetrotters (the FACE team). I wish I could get my videos to work because it was hysterical.  Teams competing during an athletic program – they had to crawl around the gym holding onto the ankles of the person in front of them.  Same program, they had to poke the balloons with a pin on the end of a beak type thing to win money while they were blindfolded.  Tomi and Gabor dancing at a program.  Teacher eating competition – they had to get through a wrapped candy bar and eat it using only a knife and fork.  

More Campaign Week!

Well today – all hell broke loose.  The school leavers – seniors- came in their costumes for their perspective candidate – and they had gifts.  I knew I was in trouble when there was a 6 foot tall rabbit waiting for people outside the school gates.  He had candy and cakes on a tray – I thought it was a bit weird, but it was just the beginning… Each candidate had representatives handing out food as we walked into the building.  And by handing out food, I mean stuffing cakes and open faced sandwiches in your face.  There were flags on some of the treats to identify which person that the food was supporting but there were also people who were dressed in the t-shirts of the person that they were supporting.  Trinkets were being handed out and there were varying things that each person was hading out and there was no way that you could say no to any of the things they were offering.  If you tried to say no, then they’d start with “it’s really good” or “this is fantastic” so you can’t say no.  There is absolutely no way that you could say no.  I even took an openfaced sandwich (how very Hungarian) that was bread, butter and onions.  That’s it – butter and onions.  Strange!!!  Each of the food items or trinkets was used to encourage your vote for that particular candidate. So you’d take a cake and they’d say “vote for Tomi” or “szavazz Viktor.”

There were dj’s on each floor of the building representing the different candidates and the school was a live dance party between classes that could rival any Saturday night at the club. 

Also, the big “entering” ceremony was today.  This meant that each class would parade into the building between classes and do some sort of stunt or production as they walked toward the building.  One group came in singing – with Tomi playing a ukelele.  The next group (which had a cowboy theme) had their candidate Viktor (one of the favorites to win) riding on a horse.  Yes – a full sized horse rode into the school today.  They didn’t take it very far in for fear that it would be spooked by the music.  The next group came with the candidate in a wheelbarrow- their theme is traditional Hungarian, so they had Hungarian outfits and such today.  One group delivered their candidate in a fancy car and as they walked by – they shouted to me “Carla – pizza!!” because they know I like to eat – they were serving pizza in their room.  There are also three groups out in front of the school that are cooking gulyás under tents.  I’m not sure how they got permission to build a coal fire on the school lawn and bring in propane tanks to keep the cooking going – but whatever.  It’s the same as one group coming in brandishing fake guns – lots of things here that would never happen in an American school.  Later in the day, the playboy bunny group was handing out condoms with “vote for Peter” on them.  I confiscated one from a 9^th grader, mostly because I thought they were hilarious and didn’t want the kids to know I wanted one – but also because they’re 14!!!!  Jojj!  They responded to my horror of the condom distribution by saying, “But Carla, we live in the 21^st Century.”

Facebook fad...

Well, I'm procrastinating a bit and succumbed to the newest Facebook fad - 25 random things.  Since many of you are not on Facebook, I decided to list my things here as well.

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As I’m writing this, I feel that it’s more of a list of 26 confessions than interesting facts about me- take it for what it’s worth.  

1. I am a teacher, always have been, always will be. I love my job and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I care about my students more than I probably should, and I hope everyday that I am able to be a role model or an influence for them in a positive way. Having said that, I invest 98% of myself in this job, and rarely leave room for me. At least twice a year, I break down out of frustration and contemplate what else I could do for a living… and always come back to teaching.  

2. I become immediately connected to the people on “reality” makeover shows- whether it’s the Biggest Loser, What Not to Wear, Extreme Home Makeover, Model Gardens- any of them.  

3. I hope to participate in the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog eating contest on Coney Island in New York City. I am fascinated by Takeru the “Tsunami” Kobyashi.  

4. I love my family, and don’t tell them that enough. I haven’t seen my older brother in over 7 years, and I regret that regularly- though I don’t know how to right it. I don’t give my little brother enough credit for being as good a person as he is. Without my parents, I would be nothing. They have sacrificed for me and my brothers our entire lives, and continue to do so to this day. I’ve become closer to my parents now that I’m realizing that they are more often than not, right. I admire their relationship – as they are happy just being with each other. I don’t know what I’d do if they weren’t in my life.  

5. I love to be a couch potato and watch episodes of Law and Order (any version) or West Wing. My heart flutters each time I hear of a marathon of either show on television.  

6. I sometimes think I’m an 80 year old in a 30 year old body. Ok 31. I love to go to bed early. I think the clothing teens wear is an embarrassment. I teach not only history, but manners and how people should behave. I’m turning into my mother…  

7. I love to learn languages – I have “studied” in one fashion or another 7 of them. (French, Spanish, German, Polish, Chinese, Japanese & Hungarian) I haven’t learned any fluently, but I’m fascinated by them- how they are pieced together, the origin of the words, the history of the language. I believe that it is the responsibility of the visitor to learn as much of the language as possible when traveling to a new country. I am  

8. I love to read a book that captivates me – envelopes me in the world that is fiction. I love to escape into a world that is unfamiliar to me, experiencing other people’s lives through stories.  

9. I have learned to love running. Though I don’t do it as much as I should, I love the feeling of accomplishment felt after a good run. More than running itself, I love teaching others to love and appreciate running. Though I’ve never been a fast or talented runner, I am good at encouraging others to reach beyond their limit, and I think I was a decent coach.  

10. I love to be in control, and as I’m getting older, I am learning to let go – a little.  

11. I am a gift shop junkie. I love to visit historical sites and buy the silliest things possible for my classroom. I love talking president dolls, bobble heads, any sort of tactile historical thing that I can bring into school that will start a conversation or at least make a teenager think.  

12. I regularly wish I was a better friend. I haven’t ever been real good at staying in touch with people, and as my life has gone down a different path than many of my friends, I’ve almost given up. I feel like I’m behind the times because I’m not married with kids and a house. I am genuinely happy for my friends and their lives, but I feel like I’m not a member of the “grown-ups” club yet, and sometimes I am jealous of their membership.  

13. My students and most of my colleagues, have NO idea how much time I put into planning lessons. I teach because I love learning, and I want my students to love learning also, so I try to make it interesting. I feel like a failure if students aren’t engaged in what I’m talking about, and sometimes I feel like it’s a personal thing against me if they don’t do their homework. I really don’t think the things I do in class are busy work, there is a reason I teach the things I do.  

14. I love the winter. Well, let me be more specific… I love a beautiful snow fall, hot cocoa, and a good movie. I love to play in the snow, for about a half hour, then I have to be warm. I have about a 10 degree window of comfort, and if I’m not in that window, something’s got to change.  

15. I am a life-long learner. Any chance I get to learn about new things, I take it. I particularly like to learn things that I can bring back into my classroom and share with my students. I love to travel to places and learn about them in the summer – it’s my free time and I really enjoy it.  

16. I now live with a cat. Though she is the brunt of many humorous stories and the source of much frustration, I love having her around. It’s been a learning experience, and one that doesn’t always go well for both of us, but we suit each other well.  

17. I enjoy telling stories. My students, friends and family will all tell you this. Whether it is in writing on a blog, or in person, I love to make people laugh with me at the stupid and crazy things that happen in my life. www.teachinginhungary.blogspot.com  

18. I try to encourage tolerance and understanding as much as possible. This has not always been easy, but I think it has spawned interesting discussions. Sometimes I know I won’t get anywhere with the people I’m talking to, but if it makes them think about why they treat people the way they do, it was worth the effort on my part.  

19. I don’t drink much, but when I do – watch out.  

20. I have a Diet Coke habit. It’s not pretty. At one point, I was up to 5 cans of Diet Coke a day- and then I’d go run… not a good mix. In the last two weeks, three different classes have commented that I had a bottle of water in class and not a cola… and they were concerned that I was not feeling well. The cafeteria lady here doesn’t speak a word of English, but knows that every day I will purchase a Cola Light (which is the closest thing to Diet Coke they have here).  

21. I live in Hungary and I love it. I think that secretly I was adopted and in my infancy I was taken from my motherland of Hungary. Ok- not really, but I feel comfortable here – except for the fact that the language is ridiculously hard.  

22. I am a social science major, but Economics was never my strength. In this current global economic situation we face, I am blown away by the massive implications that the poor choices of a select group of people have affected the entire world. I have no idea how the situation will be fixed or how bad it will get before it gets better – but it scares the crap out of me.  

23. I would love to have a library of guide books. Up-to-date ones that is… nothing worse than using an old guide book that is out of date. I love the pictures, I love to know about the places I visit, I feel almost handicapped when I arrive somewhere without information coming out of my ears.  

24. I am a difficult teacher who expects the best of my students, and I really feel that they will rise to the occasion. In the long run, the rigor of my class will make them better learners; they just don’t realize this until later. I often wonder how many of them appreciate the energy teachers put into their jobs. I also wonder if I have any effect on the students I teach in Hungary. Everyday I miss something from Burnsville High School, but I also treasure the opportunity I have here in Hungary, and the students I have been able to meet.  

25. If I could do any job without worry of my financial situation, I would take pictures. I love to take pictures, look at pictures, show pictures and tell stories with pictures. I love the innocent moments that are captured on film, and the memories that are created by them.  

26. I love the little things. The thoughtful things that shows someone really cared about you. Fresh flowers, a nice note, an unexpected invitation somewhere, a thank you out of nowhere... the little things are what make me tick.