One of the greatest things about BSM so far is that we are all nerds. I have found a flock with which I can really fly. ;) My conversations today have included (but were not limited to) Andrew Wiles and Fermat's Last Theorem, supposedly the most difficult logic puzzle ever, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Doctor Horrible, xkcd, graph theory, Battlestar Galactica, Firefly, crazy stormy camping stories, the trouble with tribbles, Midwest earthquakes and tornadoes, the Hungarian national psyche, the merits of gyros (are there any demerits?), and signal transduction pathways associated with sight...talk about a great day. When I break out the math/bio/sci-fi Suzanne here, I do not get “the look,” I get positive responses. That's not to say I don't have great friends back home with whom I share a love for nerdy things. It's just that usually the nerdiness is not quite so high-density. Oh hurrah.
This morning I went running with Arolyn around Margitsziget, or Margaret Island, which is one of the islands in the Danube named for Saint Margaret (yeah, I wouldn't have guessed either). Margitsziget has many exciting features: a nice 5 km perimeter track, a set of enormous outdoor swimming pools, the ruins of an old convent, a hotel, an athletic club with football field (soccer) and oval track, and clay tennis courts. You can bet I'll be trying my tennis skills on clay before winter sets in. That is, if I can find a place to rent/borrow a racquet.
I continue to LOVE Budapest's public transit system. It is SO easy to get around – metro, trolleybus, bus, train, and of course the good ol' body and sole. The trip to Margitsziget was just a hop on the 4-and-6 train and a 10 minute ride away from our apartment. Thinking ahead, I know I am going to miss this when I return to the States.
