Door to door salesman? No- door to door thief!

I know it’s been a while, so I’ll try and be short- but I’ll still get all the good stuff in… Wednesday night started off as a typical night here in Tata- CNN, EuroNews and dinner.  After dinner however, things got a little crazy.  I was watching TV and working on lesson plans, when I started to hear a strange noise.  I blew it off as something happening in the hallway, not usually things I get involved in since I never know what they are saying.  Then I heard the noise again… and again… it was a weird rattling noise- and I had no idea what it was.  I turned the TV down and listened again, and sure enough- rattle…… it took me a good 5 minutes to figure out that it was my doorbell that was “ringing.”  I’d never heard it before, so I had no idea what was going on.  My doorbell?  Who the hell was at my door?  So, I opened the door (not the giant window that takes up a good portion of the door) and greeted the man that was outside.  He had a notebook and pointed to some things on the notebook.  I proceeded to tell him (in Hungarian) that I didn’t speak his language and I didn’t understand him.  He pointed at his notebook and pointed into my apartment and continued to speak.  I didn’t know what he was pointing at so I let him in.  (yes, I let the strange man into my apartment- I’ve already been scolded so calm down).  He confidently marched down my hallway and pointed towards my balcony.  (the day before, I had tried to shake my large rugs out over the balcony – which resulted in my downstairs neighbor vacuuming their balcony afterwards.  So I thought he could be yelling at me for shaking my rugs out)  But he was looking at the stucco type siding – and told me he’d need a minute out there.  Ok… I guess I’ll go back and sit on the couch?  By this time, his combination musk and cigarette smell had permeated my living room- so I waited… he returned and asked me my name – pointing to a list of names on his notebook page.  At this point, I was sure that he was someone that was with the building – a landlord or maintenance type.  I told him that I was under the name of the school, and he motioned towards the school and then at me – I thought he was asking if I paid the rent or if they did, and I pointed toward the school (seemingly) indicating that they pay my rent.  He then pointed to the top of the notebook where it said 1000ft –meaning 1000 forint (the currency).  He then pointed at me and said “1000ft.” What? 1000 forint?  For what?  Well, okay – I’ll pay it and then we’ll see what happens.  So, I paid him the 1000ft and he left.  I said, thanks so much as he left… not knowing exactly why… but it seemed the appropriate thing to do.

            I returned to the couch, thinking about what had just taken place.  1.) I answered the door by opening it up completely.  2.) I let a strange man into my apartment 3.) I paid said strange man for doing something… I’m not sure what 4.) I thanked him for coming.  I called my parents to tell them how funny it was – this small cultural exchange between a Hungarian speaker and a non-Hungarian speaker.  My parents didn’t really think it was that funny, but they didn’t know what to make of the whole situation either.  When I got to school the next day, I ran it by the women in my department – and they about fell over in shock.  I let him in?  I didn’t use the “window?”  (which would really just be awkward and not normal by any means…) I PAID him?  For what?  CARRRRRLA (they roll their “R”s here) What were you thinking?  Wow.  Mirtill was going to get to the bottom of this- so she called the office of my building… and came back very disappointed in me.  “Carla, it was a – how do you call it- Frog?  Fraud – yes, fraud.  He didn’t work for the building at all… and your money is gone.”  When she asked me what time he had come, and I told her that it was just after 7 pm, she looked at me, disappointed again, and said “Carla, no one works at 7 in Hungary” as if that were common knowledge that I had forgotten. 

            Admittedly, it sounds crazy when I say it out loud, but I was so shocked that someone was at my door in the first place, it just threw me off.  The following day at school, the women were all a-buzz with the news about the situation, as it had made the Tata news and SEVERAL people gave him money, not just me… and some gave him as much as 10,000 forint – that’s $65.00!!!  I gave him $6.00 – and I don’t speak the language.  They gave him $65!  Who is the dumb one now?  I still am according to my colleagues… Never answer the door, and if you don’t know what he is saying, call us and we’ll talk to him for you.  Lesson learned.