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.”