Hello World!
So I've been here in Budapest (pronounced "Budapesht") for 4 days now. And what fun it has been! I arrived Friday noon-ish to a very hot city, met our student coordinator who is so nice and oddly reminds me of my Canadian cousins (that's a great thing - they are awesome people), and moved into my apartment on Vig utca ("Happy street"!). I'm living with F from Thailand, who unfortunately is rather sick right now, and we are just across the hall from A and E.
Saturday we went downtown to Vaci utca, which is sort of a tourist-centered area, and crossed the Danube (or Duna) on one of the older bridges (the Chain Bridge?).
Yesterday was the most fun though, because F and I went to the Sziget Music Festival with some other students in our program to see The Killers. I guess that was actually my first real-live music festival. While I didn't stay there for longer than 3 hours, it was a sweet concert and people were so friendly - I had a great time.
Today was our opening day of Babilon language school. So now I can say "Suzie vagyok. 21 e'ves vagyok. Coloradoi vagyok. Colorado az USA-ban van. Besze'lek spanyolul e's angolul e's egy kicsit magyarul." 100 Bonus Hug points for whoever can guess what I said. :) Interactive blog! Oh man.
I'll post some pictures when I remember to bring my camera-cable to the McDonald's McCafe we're using for free wifi right now. Until then,
Viszontlatasra!
Monday, August 18, 2008
Thursday, August 14, 2008
That packing thing...
Recently I've had some interesting travel advice, gleaned from personal experience, from some good friends.
My favorite gems:
"Make sure to take more than two bras. Bra shopping in the Middle East is really awkward."
"Take more than one pair of pants - then if you get a hole in the butt of one pair, you don't have to keep wearing the Holy Butt Pants the whole trip."
"Don't take a skirt that is dry-clean only. Also, you don't need to take a box of dryer sheets. You really won't have access to dryers probably. Or dry cleaning."
"Don't wear ugly clothes."
I thought I was doing pretty well on all counts here...but lo and behold, my shiny new formal pants are indeed dry-clean only. Can you say 'wear sparingly and do not eat anything fun while wearing these pants'? I can. In fact, I just did.
Packing is my favorite of all the frantic-last-minute activies. :)
My favorite gems:
"Make sure to take more than two bras. Bra shopping in the Middle East is really awkward."
"Take more than one pair of pants - then if you get a hole in the butt of one pair, you don't have to keep wearing the Holy Butt Pants the whole trip."
"Don't take a skirt that is dry-clean only. Also, you don't need to take a box of dryer sheets. You really won't have access to dryers probably. Or dry cleaning."
"Don't wear ugly clothes."
I thought I was doing pretty well on all counts here...but lo and behold, my shiny new formal pants are indeed dry-clean only. Can you say 'wear sparingly and do not eat anything fun while wearing these pants'? I can. In fact, I just did.
Packing is my favorite of all the frantic-last-minute activies. :)
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Packing...
Yeah, well. So I'm not actually packing yet.
I'm cleaning my room! I think the last time I genuinely cleaned my room was...over 3 years ago. Embarrassing. But kinda fun too. So far I've found a bunch of bobby pins, some poems I wrote years ago, and a dead caterpillar, among other things.
I'm cleaning my room! I think the last time I genuinely cleaned my room was...over 3 years ago. Embarrassing. But kinda fun too. So far I've found a bunch of bobby pins, some poems I wrote years ago, and a dead caterpillar, among other things.
TBTG, part II
What a week! Woohoo!
1. This Wednesday was our poster session at CU-Boulder in the Discovery Learning Center. My parents came up for the fun times, and while I probably totally confused them, they enjoyed it. I did too! While I didn't get to see very many posters besides my own, I had some great opportunities to chat with people who knew what I was talking about and offered some interesting thoughts that will impact my project down the road. AND...great news - my poster won first place! Woot. Along with a little chest-swelling pride, I also receive an expenses-paid trip to an as yet unchosen national conference to present my work. Sweet. Double sweet. A big thank you to Pat, Subbaiah, Paul, Ashley, Naglee, Ken, Frannie, heck everybody. This summer was a great research experience, and I couldn't ask for a better.
2. Calvary is a great church. In the words of a good friend, "it has its shit together." Being able to spend Sundays there this summer has been a great and unexpected pleasure for me. Sometimes when I come home from school, for whatever reason, church upsets me. But ultimately, Calvary is a community filled with people I love, as well as people I'd love to know better. And almost unfailingly, every time I enter those doors, God gives me something to think about, and much to give thanks for.
3. I had the great pleasure of cooking some good ol' Costa Rican food for good friends this week. As I've said before, spending time with friends has been far and away a highlight of my summer. Hooray! I will miss you all while I'm away, but Lord knows I'm excited to get to know Hungarians and other BSMers - woohoo! Mostly, people are just great. Yeah, we have problems. Tons. But I love people. And that's pretty important.
On a side note, NBC commentators for the Olympics seem to be complete morons. Specifically, those commentating on women's gymnastics. Complaining that it's "sad" that the Romanian team is now not as focused and perfect as they were in the 70s? That back in "those days" (um, communism, anyone?) the girls were intensely focused during competition, but nowadays they have been seen "chatting" with each other? Oh, my goodness. Yes, that is sad. It is so sad to see people enjoying themselves. O Communism, you may have caused some pain and suffering, but damn you produced great gymnasts. How we pine for your return.
Come to think of it, NBC commentators tend to be negative and terribly inane across the board.
Best electronic design feature ever? Mute button.
1. This Wednesday was our poster session at CU-Boulder in the Discovery Learning Center. My parents came up for the fun times, and while I probably totally confused them, they enjoyed it. I did too! While I didn't get to see very many posters besides my own, I had some great opportunities to chat with people who knew what I was talking about and offered some interesting thoughts that will impact my project down the road. AND...great news - my poster won first place! Woot. Along with a little chest-swelling pride, I also receive an expenses-paid trip to an as yet unchosen national conference to present my work. Sweet. Double sweet. A big thank you to Pat, Subbaiah, Paul, Ashley, Naglee, Ken, Frannie, heck everybody. This summer was a great research experience, and I couldn't ask for a better.
2. Calvary is a great church. In the words of a good friend, "it has its shit together." Being able to spend Sundays there this summer has been a great and unexpected pleasure for me. Sometimes when I come home from school, for whatever reason, church upsets me. But ultimately, Calvary is a community filled with people I love, as well as people I'd love to know better. And almost unfailingly, every time I enter those doors, God gives me something to think about, and much to give thanks for.
3. I had the great pleasure of cooking some good ol' Costa Rican food for good friends this week. As I've said before, spending time with friends has been far and away a highlight of my summer. Hooray! I will miss you all while I'm away, but Lord knows I'm excited to get to know Hungarians and other BSMers - woohoo! Mostly, people are just great. Yeah, we have problems. Tons. But I love people. And that's pretty important.
On a side note, NBC commentators for the Olympics seem to be complete morons. Specifically, those commentating on women's gymnastics. Complaining that it's "sad" that the Romanian team is now not as focused and perfect as they were in the 70s? That back in "those days" (um, communism, anyone?) the girls were intensely focused during competition, but nowadays they have been seen "chatting" with each other? Oh, my goodness. Yes, that is sad. It is so sad to see people enjoying themselves. O Communism, you may have caused some pain and suffering, but damn you produced great gymnasts. How we pine for your return.
Come to think of it, NBC commentators tend to be negative and terribly inane across the board.
Best electronic design feature ever? Mute button.
Monday, July 28, 2008
TBTG
Aaah, what an awesome day.
I just spent a great four hours with a good good friend. Thank you Will! And thanks be to God.
I have been desperate to talk with someone about belief for a while and it just never quite happened. I could never bring it up. I've been apathetic for a long while now, and alternately anxious and comfortable with that. But tonight talking with Will was like a poke in the eye (a gentle, friendly poke if you will). I realize that I have been searching for 'the right' kind of inspiration, 'the right' kind of book or article or song or whatever to help me - I've been waiting for something to move me, but skeptical of any time I felt moved. Tonight I feel the beginning of the realization that if I choose to pursue God, to actively engage in my relationship with the divine, the pattern-that-moves-in-all-things, then God will use anything to meet me.
Recently I have felt keenly a need to be connected to the church. To be connected not just to people, but also to people who live as though God is real. Because God is real. And that's not something I've come to know because of going to church on Sundays or youth group or whatever. God is real in my life because God has always been real in my life, as long as I can remember. I doubt it all the time to be sure. I struggle with the details, with the "Christian-ese," the often cliche imagery that I don't understand anymore. I struggle with the idea that God is a person, or a male person for that matter, or that God could possibly care what I want, or that God would ordain genocide (the Old Testament?) - there are plenty of intellectual issues to have with religion, and I'm not yet sure what to do with those. And there's a lot of shit that people have done in the name of religion, that's true. But what happens to me when I love a person just for being a person is very real, and I honestly don't think I can do that on my own. That's the Lord. And damn, that is powerful, that is mind-boggling to me, that is freeing.
Anyway. It's been a good day. I drove straight to church from Fort Collins, and missed everything except for the Holy Eucharist. So it was not my usual church experience, but that's a good thing - 'usual' means I'm probably not listening so much.
Ramble ramble ramble...to bed now. To be continued...
I just spent a great four hours with a good good friend. Thank you Will! And thanks be to God.
I have been desperate to talk with someone about belief for a while and it just never quite happened. I could never bring it up. I've been apathetic for a long while now, and alternately anxious and comfortable with that. But tonight talking with Will was like a poke in the eye (a gentle, friendly poke if you will). I realize that I have been searching for 'the right' kind of inspiration, 'the right' kind of book or article or song or whatever to help me - I've been waiting for something to move me, but skeptical of any time I felt moved. Tonight I feel the beginning of the realization that if I choose to pursue God, to actively engage in my relationship with the divine, the pattern-that-moves-in-all-things, then God will use anything to meet me.
Recently I have felt keenly a need to be connected to the church. To be connected not just to people, but also to people who live as though God is real. Because God is real. And that's not something I've come to know because of going to church on Sundays or youth group or whatever. God is real in my life because God has always been real in my life, as long as I can remember. I doubt it all the time to be sure. I struggle with the details, with the "Christian-ese," the often cliche imagery that I don't understand anymore. I struggle with the idea that God is a person, or a male person for that matter, or that God could possibly care what I want, or that God would ordain genocide (the Old Testament?) - there are plenty of intellectual issues to have with religion, and I'm not yet sure what to do with those. And there's a lot of shit that people have done in the name of religion, that's true. But what happens to me when I love a person just for being a person is very real, and I honestly don't think I can do that on my own. That's the Lord. And damn, that is powerful, that is mind-boggling to me, that is freeing.
Anyway. It's been a good day. I drove straight to church from Fort Collins, and missed everything except for the Holy Eucharist. So it was not my usual church experience, but that's a good thing - 'usual' means I'm probably not listening so much.
Ramble ramble ramble...to bed now. To be continued...
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Howdy folks! I'm almost positive no one reads this blog. Yet. Once I set off for my quest for mathematical craziness, I'll be updating this more frequently. Good story.
I had a VERY weird, very VIVID dream the other night. In tone, it was a cross between an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Serenity, and a normal day at lab this summer. There were scary evil mummies with skin rashes, zombies, and an evil archnemesis (sorry Ashley!), and Nathan Fillion was there too. I've been spending far too much time in the Whedonverse...
But for those of you who may be interested, you really should check out "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along-Blog," a web-musical about a supervillain, or just a loser-villain wannabe, and his archnemesis and the girl caught between them. It was written/directed/produced by Joss Whedon, his brothers Zack and Jed Whedon, and Jed's fiancee Maurissa Tancharoen. Starring Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother, Doogie Houser, MD), Nathan Fillion (Firefly, Serenity, Desperate Housewives), and Felicia Day (The Guild). www.drhorrible.com.
Be advised, it is no longer officially available on the internet for free watching - but I think you can still watch it at www.whedontube.com. Otherwise, it is a good idea to download it at iTunes. Fun stuff.
At this very moment, I am procrastinating going back to lab. On a Saturday. Oh science. Oh crazy work-aholic-ness. Poo. This summer has been fine overall, but I spent a lot of it sort of vegging out. And not in a restorative way. I burned out this last semester, and dove into television to sort of get away. Man, I used to use books for escape! And that way I improved my vocabulary too. Ha. At any rate, as the summer draws to a close (3 weeks to Hungary! Holy crap!), I'm glad to say that I'm surfacing. I'm still behind on a few things, but the excitement is building...
Sweet!
I had a VERY weird, very VIVID dream the other night. In tone, it was a cross between an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Serenity, and a normal day at lab this summer. There were scary evil mummies with skin rashes, zombies, and an evil archnemesis (sorry Ashley!), and Nathan Fillion was there too. I've been spending far too much time in the Whedonverse...
But for those of you who may be interested, you really should check out "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along-Blog," a web-musical about a supervillain, or just a loser-villain wannabe, and his archnemesis and the girl caught between them. It was written/directed/produced by Joss Whedon, his brothers Zack and Jed Whedon, and Jed's fiancee Maurissa Tancharoen. Starring Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother, Doogie Houser, MD), Nathan Fillion (Firefly, Serenity, Desperate Housewives), and Felicia Day (The Guild). www.drhorrible.com.
Be advised, it is no longer officially available on the internet for free watching - but I think you can still watch it at www.whedontube.com. Otherwise, it is a good idea to download it at iTunes. Fun stuff.
At this very moment, I am procrastinating going back to lab. On a Saturday. Oh science. Oh crazy work-aholic-ness. Poo. This summer has been fine overall, but I spent a lot of it sort of vegging out. And not in a restorative way. I burned out this last semester, and dove into television to sort of get away. Man, I used to use books for escape! And that way I improved my vocabulary too. Ha. At any rate, as the summer draws to a close (3 weeks to Hungary! Holy crap!), I'm glad to say that I'm surfacing. I'm still behind on a few things, but the excitement is building...
Sweet!
Monday, June 23, 2008
Wyoming!
Is a nice place to visit. ESPECIALLY when you're visiting a long-lost most wonderful friend. And that is precisely what I did this weekend! Jeremy, Alex, and I drove up to Laramie and went hiking with Katie at the Vedauwoo - a very cool place with fun rocks to climb and tear your skin on. And we saw antelope! Hooray.
It was great to see Katie. This summer I have rediscovered the pleasures of seeing old friends again. Last weekend we had a little D'Evelyn '05 get together in Boulder - what fun! And I must say that one of my most fav 'old friends' I've been getting reaquainted with this summer is the lovely state herself, Colorado. It is GOOD to be home.
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