Big weekend in Tata - not really.

Saturday was a good day.  I was looking forward to a weekend in Tata, just relaxing and not having to catch a train anywhere.  I could sleep in and get LOTS of stuff done.  Well… neither of those things really happened.  I did have a nice time just relaxing and hanging out Saturday morning, but I had to prepare for lunch at Elizabeth’s at 12:30.  I knew that I would have to bring something (since I screwed it up the first time, I was going to be prepared).  Elizabeth had called me the night before to confirm… part of me really hoped she wouldn’t call, just because I don’t like new situations and small talk – which was what the entire lunch was going to be about, but I managed just fine.  She told me to come at half past 12 – and when I asked where she lived she responded with “do you have a map?”  Well, yeah, I have a map, but it’s a tourist map and doesn’t really show all the small streets.  She said do you know “so and so” street – of course I don’t Elizabeth, I’ve been her a month.  She told me to take my street, but not in the direction of something (indecipherable Hungarian word).  Then I would “go and go until I came to an intersection- then go forward” really clear- this is going to be no problem.  After I went through the intersection I was to “look for her street and go Right- her house is 4 point 5 – but there is no 5.  It’s midway down the street.”  Ok – no problem right?   Well, when I set off in the morning, I was ready for anything.  I thought I knew where I was going – I knew where there was a flower shop to go to, it was going to be alright. Until I got to the flower shop, and it was closed.  Dang.  On to the next one – yay!  I know of another flower shop- so I enter, and I come in on a family preparing funeral bouquets.  Hmmm… try again – I didn’t want to try and order a bouquet in the midst of that. Man.  I found a third shop, and they had bouquets right in front of the counter – life was good, expensive, but good.  Ok – off to Elizabeth’s.  Hmmm… map in hand, here we go.  I definitely underestimated exactly how far she lived from me, but luckily I’m skilled in the art of walking so I made good time.  I found her street – barely – (the picture is of her street sign) and eventually turned down to start looking for her house.  She told me she had a green gate… well so did every other house on the block.  Ok – I’m looking for 4 point 5.  What exactly does that mean?  I was walking by 77, 75….67, 63 – did she mean 45?  In due time, it all came together – green gate, check, 45 – missing the 5, check- midway down the block, check.  Ok- so I rang the bell.  Or so I thought.  I entered the gate, and heard nothing, saw no one, and instantly panicked.  Was I in the wrong place?  I backtracked and rang the other button- and I heard the bell ring this time.  Now what.  Do I wait?  Do I go back through the gate?  Ugh – panic again… Oh –here she comes.  Thank goodness.

She brought me in and showed me around the first level of the house.  She has a beautiful back yard and garden – even in the beginnings of fall as things are starting to die off.  She offered me a drink – two different types of wine – so I tried the “bull’s blood” I’m pretty sure it’s a well known type of Hungarian wine.  Red – obviously – and I don’t usually drink red wine, but it was really good.  Elizabeth’s two children are grown up and don’t live there anymore, and her husband was in Russia on work – so it was just her and me.  She prepared a vegetable soup, delicious – and then a pasta dish with chicken and cheese.  It was a lovely meal – and as I’ve learned now, I ate a lot.  After all, I wasn’t going to eat for the rest of the day right? (yeah right).  She gave me a tour of the upstairs, and some more wine – and then we finished with chocolate.  I love this country!  Wine and chocolate at lunch!  She lent me some books on how to learn Hungarian- and one on Famous Hungarians – so I have a little light reading for the next few weeks- but I’m excited about it. 

After I left, I figured I was already half way to Tesco, so I might as well go.  I was planning on buying a DVD player and a printer.  Again, life is not without adventure – as I did not have a 100 forint coin for the cart.  Dang.  So I stopped and bought a diet coke at the gas station.  Jackpot – 100 forint coin – here we go.  I got the DVD player and the printer and some other necessities – and I was very excited.  One of my students has all 10 seasons of Friends, but I couldn’t play it on my computer since they are region two DVD’s.  Now I was going to be in business right?  Nope.  I didn’t get a certain cord that I needed for the printer, and the DVD player had no remote.  No remote?  What?  There is one in the book – and it’s the only way you can control the machine.  UUUUUGGGGGHHHHHHHH.  This was too much for one day, so I did some laundry and cleaned a bit –planning to fix everything the next day. 

Today I set off early for Tatabanya – I was in search of a cord for the printer, and a universal remote or something to fix my DVD problem.  Luckily I have nailed the buses, so I was in Tatabanya in no time, hitting up the Media Markt.  I got a universal remote – and the cord I needed, SCORE!  I celebrated with a McDonalds meal. 

I got home, and of course the universal remote didn’t work.  I tried for over an hour to program the DVD player.  Crap.  Now what?  I decided to check the buses and head back to Tesco.  I got there lickety split, and headed back to the DVD spot – with receipt in hand, and translated sentence asking for help in hand.  There wasn’t anyone back in the DVD section, but there was a remote just laying there on top of the boxes of my DVD player.  What?  That’s my remote – what do I do?  Do I just shove it in my bag because I know that it belongs with my machine?  Do I try to communicate that this is really mine to a worker there?  UGH.  I went to the customer service desk and explained my situation, and the kid behind the counter told me to bring the machine in to Tesco and they’d trade it.  CRAP.  Of course I didn’t bring it with me, and the buses only come once an hour on Sundays.  UGH.  I ended up just buying the same DVD player, planning to return the first one at a later time when I could figure out how to do it – and call it a day.  Or so I thought.  I got to the front of the line to buy the new DVD player, some peppers and onions – and wait – where’s my credit card?  I had it this morning at Media Markt…. CRAP!  I left it there.  She never gave it back to me.  Seriously?  So – I bought the machine and everything, got home, double checked at home and boarded a bus BACK to Tatabanya.  I got to the Media Markt and asked the security guard if he spoke English – of course he didn’t – so for some reason I turned to the cashier and said “I lost my credit card” in English –and she pointed me to the security guard who had it on the desk.  Thank God.  What a day.  And I still had planning, and reading, and typing to do.  Man- so much for a relaxing day.