¡Raíces! - 13

So believe it or not, I’m down to just one more month in Barca, which is bizarre. I feel like I want to squeeze so much out of the last few weeks here but I also don’t want to go crazy trying to do everything.. But anyway, this last weekend rocked hard core so let’s get to it. First, some background -

As some of you know, I'm half-Hungarian (that's why I have those funny middle names!).. My dad was born in Budapest, and though he would only live in Hungary for two years before his family left the country (due to WWII), the Hungarian roots run deep and strong in his life and, by extension, in my own. I don't speak Hungarian (yet..!), but for much of my life I've heard from my dad about all things Hungary: his mini-lecture series has spanned water polo, politics, the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, Magyar origins, Hungarian-American relations, Nobel prizes, and myriad other topics. Largely thanks to my dad's loving communication, I've been able to grow up appreciating Hungary as a country with rich traditions, brilliant individuals, stalwart people, and well-deserved pride. While I lived in Hungary for a year as a three year-old, and later returned at the age of five, I don't have many clear recollections from those times.. So, this past weekend was almost like my first visit in some respects, and I was lucky to have my dad with me as a tour guide.

The first part of my stay was actually not in Budapest, but in a nearby town where my relatives live! Basically, I'm related to them through my paternal grandfather, and they're soooo cool.. The family, in a nutshell, is: the sweet, enthusiastic English teacher and supermom; the wise, thoughtful, friendly father; the warm, open, and outgoing eldest daughter, the theologian-in-training and photographer extraordinaire (son #1); the brilliant chemist, ballroom dancer, and Hungarian Roger Federer (son #2); the vivacious, multi-lingual & spunky younger daughter; and the little, adorable toddler who doubles as the star of the house! The whole family was very welcoming while I was with them and it was so nice to finally get to know all of them on a personal level..

A highlight of my stay with the rels was going to school on Friday. As I mentioned, the mother teaches English, and she kindly asked me to speak with her classes so that they could hear a real American accent (admittedly much less precise than UK English accents, which seems to be part of the reason that all of Europe learns English by following the British model). At any rate, it was tons of fun teaching the students "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and answering their questions about my life and America in general. In return, they taught me some Hungarian words! After teaching me how to say "I love you" (Szeretlek), they dutifully taught me one of the most important words in the Hungarian language: kocsma, or "pub." Other words I added to my humble vocabulary were sör (beer), gólya (stork), szakács (chef), család (family), köszönöm szépen (thank you very much), igen (yes), and nem (no).


The school!

After the school adventure, and with a freshly bolstered vocabulary that enabled me to lovingly purchase a family of storks from a chef while drinking a beer and finding directions to the nearest pub, I was able to relax with the Hungarian family for a few hours. While there, my dad discussed the wonders of the iPad, we watched a sea turtle "boil" video, we were amused by the toddler joyfully running around to avoid having her clothes put on properly, and - alas - we said goodbye to part of the family. The other part of the family took me to a really neat Christian prayer and singing session (the whole family are really solid Christians, which is awesome) and finally the mom and dad showed me some incredible nighttime views of Budapest. Man, with the lights framing the Danube, the Royal Palace rising majestically above the city on the Buda side, and the Parliament building standing proudly on the Pest side, the city was gorgeous! Looking at the view, it's almost too easy to forget the incredible sacrifice and bravery of the Hungarians that helped clear the road to the freedom that they, and Central/Eastern Europe at large, enjoy today. It was especially touching for me to hear from the mother about her father, who was - at my age, as a pre-medical student - a Freedom Fighter in '56. He was nearly executed (many were) as a result of his role in the Revolution, and was imprisoned for six years until the "magnanimous" government let him go, and only then because of his young age and a general amnesty.


Budapest's lights by night

On Saturday, we met some family friends who live in Budapest and we visited a beautiful church - the Mátyás-templom - that featured gorgeous, multi-colored tiles (called Zsolnay tiles) manufactured in Hungary. The Matthias Church (as it's called in English) was built in the 14th century and is a jewel in the heart of Buda's Castle District (basically the digs of the old Hungarian kings). The church afforded great day-time views of the Danube and several of the eight bridges that grace the city. At dinner with some of our friends, my dad was in fine form, and seemed to greatly enjoy the fluid Hungarian discourse that he so rarely experiences in western Maryland..


Some of the Zsolnay tiles


Hungarian Parliament

The last day of my trip (stick with me, almost done) I spent with my dad. It was great fun to stay with him on Margitsziget, a park-like island in the middle of the Danube where my family and I lived for a bit in 1994. For those who don't know, Hungary is home to the largest thermal water cave system in the world, which translates to naturally-heated, hot sulfur-water baths!! While I don't fancy the taste (many people are convinced that drinking sulfur water is great for one's health), I certainly loved lounging around the warm baths in our hotel.. (The faint rotten-egg smell of the sulfur doesn't bother you after too long!) It was cool being there and thinking how, as a three-year old, I had run around the place under the watchful eye of my mother. Margitsziget is also home to a world-class water polo & swimming training facility, complete with plaques acknowledging the many Hungarian Olympic gold medal winners - including the 1956 Olympic gold, home to the famous "Blood in the Water" match, which was set against the backdrop of the Hungarian Revolution against the Soviets. In addition to Margaret Island, we checked out the Vásárcsarnok (a popular market), the Corvinus University of Budapest, the Deák Téri Evangélikus Templom (the church where my dad was baptized), the Great Synagogue (the 2nd largest synagogue in the world), and the wonderful Vörösmarty Tér pre-holiday open-air market (which had AMAZING mulled wine). As we walked through the city, I was struck by the still-extant scars of '56, which were present in the form of bullet holes and obvious signs of combat on many buildings..


Some delicious hot wine

If you are still reading, you have my deep and sincere gratitude! Your prize? Some side notes that may be of interest:

1) Lufthansa ROCKS. After this weekend, it's got to be my favorite airline. I flew 4x with them (I had a connection flight each way) this weekend, but the many travel hours passed very pleasantly because Lufthansa had such great organization, such friendly staff, and such delightful perks. I was treated to food and drinks on every flight and was repeatedly offered extra food, had FREE coffee and tea at the Munich airport (no joke, they had free machines where you just pushed a button and got whatever you wanted), enjoyed free INTERNET at the airport, and in general experienced great overall service.. Viva Lufthansa & viva German competence.

2) I noticed that the word "super" transcends borders and languages. In Spain, it's very common to hear someone say, for example, fue super-bien (it was so good).. To my surprise, the same kind of usage is common in Hungary, where you can say "szuper" whatever. Interesting, no?

3) My study abroad program had another gastronomy session with Núria, our colorful and highly entertaining food experta.. We had a taste-testing of pineapple, cucumbers, and juice under different conditions, to see how we reacted to the same foods presented in different ways. I'm not sure how my tongue reacted to many of the treatments (e.g. blindfolded pineapple-eating vs. normal pineapple-eating) but I know for a fact that my heart and kidneys convulsed when I tried the salt-treated cucumbers! Núria put enough salt on the pepinos to kill a donkey.

4) Aaaaand finally, check out the new "God Corner" feature to the blog.. Enjoy!