Author Archives: colshark

May14

Getting to Know You/Getting to Know All About You, Budapest…

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Hi party people! Again, I’ve been neglecting my blogging duties. Now that I have my amazing new iPhone, I will be able to easily add more pics to my blog. I’m still, however, working on getting Internet at home (*throws fist angrily into the air screaming “Hungary!!!!!!!”*).

The last few weeks have had their ups and downs including a lot of late nights at work but also some fun times with new friends. We have a lot of public holidays this calendar year (ha ha. suck it, non-Euro countries) so we had a nice picnic for the May Day celebration. We all made food and met on Margaret Island, the island in the middle of the Danube. Before I moved here I had no idea there even was an island in the middle of the Danuble in Budapest. It was lovely but very hot! Summer came to Budapest seemingly overnight (but we’re back to winter conditions already).

Last Friday we celebrated the publication of the CEU 2011 Annual Report which was the result of blood, sweat and tears from many of the communications office staff (including moi). If any of you are so inclined (mom), I wrote the profiles on pages 18, 24, 44 & 36. It sucks having essentially Twitter-length character limitations within which to write people’s stories but they turned out pretty well in the end. When I say we celebrated, that equals our cool boss Sybil hosting a party at her house featuring her famous gin & tonics. Yum! She also made some yummy tacos and it was the first real taste of home I’ve had since I moved here. Thank you, El Paso seasoning packets! 🙂

I also recently got the sad news that my friend and colleague Stephen will be moving back to the U.S. along with his boyfriend Theo. 😦 They are two of my very favorite people and it will be hell saying goodbye to them. I guess I have to say I’m happy for them but I’m just mad at them. 🙂 I kid, I kid. I have made them promise to return for Thanksgiving. I plan to have a big Turkey Day party w/ my visiting cousins & local pals so it’s a great excuse to return. Speaking of Stephen and Theo, we had the most amazing day yesterday, beginning with an indulgent Mother’s Day buffet at the Budapest Marriott. We stuffed ourselves silly with champagne, bacon-wrapped pork, shrimp cocktail, omelets, fine cheeses and roast beef. After that, we went to the dessert table and just put our faces directly into the chocolate sauce. We then did some light shopping at an outdoor market where S & T talked me into buying a really beautiful necklace and bracelet made from repurposed metals.  Here’s the cool necklace I got that is made out of a vintage compact cover: 

In the evening, we went to the amazing Szechenyi Bath for some nighttime fun in the warm pools. It’s really sweet to be outside when it’s kind of chilly but soaking in the warm pool! I want to go in the dead of winter too. One of the outdoor pools has a circular area with a strong current that flings you through the ring. It is a major laugh inducer and Stephen, Theo and I laughed until our abs hurt and I broke my toe (not an official diagnosis). It’s a bit like getting a hilarious enema as you pass each strong jet…is there such a thing? 🙂  There are even cool colored lights in that pool and random bubble gushers. I plan to go back many, many times! Here are a few pics of Szechenyi from the Interwebs. We finished off the night with some Montenegrin hamburgers that Stephen has been wanting me to try. Not exactly an American burger, but damn good anyway. Overall, an A+ day!

Getting together with friends tomorrow night to plan a long weekend in Croatia this summer. YAY!

Lots of love from Hungary!

C

Apr26

Karaoke, Billionaires & Sharks

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This has been an incredibly hectic and stressful week but with some cool stuff thrown in. On Sunday I went to check out a choir because I really want to get back to singing with a group. I sat in on the Gabrieli Choir‘s weekly practice. They exclusively sing sacred music. I’m not a religious person but grew up singing sacred music and I have a real soft spot in my heart for it so I think I will join.

And speaking of singing, last Saturday we finally went to karaoke. Oh how I’ve been waiting to get my karaoke on in Hungary! Well, it didn’t disappoint but perhaps that’s because my lovely new friend Marion plied us all with very smooth tequila straight from Mexico. She also made an AMAZING chili which I’m happy to report stayed in all of our bellies. There weren’t many people at karaoke so our small group got to sing a lot. I sang one of my all-time favs “Chain of Fools,” Marion did a spectacular rendition of Meatloaf’s “Anything for Love” and Anne rocked the house with Lita Ford’s “Kiss Me Deadly.” Stephen and Theo signed my new friend Bart up (behind his back) to sing “I Want it That Way” by Backstreet Boys which he did without a single complaint or attempt at refusal. Good on ya, Dutch Bart! Sadly, we won’t be able to return to this bar since we kind of broke one of the microphones. Some guy was singing Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” (or was it Dolly’s? I couldn’t really tell) and I wanted to harmonize with him so I asked Marion to grab the other mike. Wellllllll, it kinda ended up on the floor and then stopped working; I’m not admitting to anything, nor did brilliant lawyer Marion when one of the karaoke hosts tried to get us to pay 33,000 Hungarian Forint (150 USD) to replace it. Yeah, no. I felt bad and everything but it’s an occupational hazard and you gotta expect that some drunkard is going to ruin your equipment at some point. After karaoke we went to a magazine launch party to hear our friend and colleague Brandon, a DJ, spin some tunes. I don’t know the cool way to say “spin some tunes.” What are the kids saying these days? 🙂

Everyone at CEU has been running around like chickens with their heads cut off (speaking of, this morning I saw a dude in a chicken costume w/ the head temporarily off so he could smoke) because Papa George  – that would be George Soros, our founder and FUNDER) – is here. CEU is opening its School of Public Policy and International Affairs (which was his idea) and their inaugural conference was Monday & Tuesday. One of the panel moderators was Kati Marton who is also a member of the CEU Board of Trustees. She is a former journalist and respected author and widow of U.S. diplomat Richard Holbrooke, with whom our president worked closely. Marton spoke last night about her book about the life of Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat who saved tens of thousands of Jewish lives in Budapest at the end of World War II. In another post, I mentioned the book I read about him when I first arrived in Budapest. I feel really lucky to be able to attend all of these cool events!

I have also had a bit of a job change which I have been anticipating. I will be doing international media relations now but also continuing to do lots of editorial work for the website, etc. I formally met the CEU president yesterday, although I’ve heard him speak many times already. We had a very good conversation about what we can do to raise the school’s profile in the U.S.

Last night I started doing interviews for a freelance piece I’m doing on sharks. Anyone who knows me well knows that I have a recent (within the last 5 or 6 years) obsession with sharks. I was so excited to get to speak to one of the foremost experts in the world, George Burgess, who is often featured on Shark Week programs. The first thing he said to me after I was transferred to him was, “I love your last name!” 🙂 We had a really great conversation and I learned some fascinating new info. I need to ask him for some book recommendations too. If you are Elasmobranch-inclined, check out these awesome books: The Devil’s Teeth by Susan Casey and Close to Shore by Michael Capuzzo. The latter is the story that Peter Benchley based Jaws on and was a stellar recommendation by my friend Mary.

Ok, time to go home and clean up the flat as my friend Ivana (a pal I met way back in 2009 in Munich) will be visiting tomorrow.

Keep the home fires burning! 🙂

C

Apr18

May You Never Have to Deal with a Hungarian Internet Company

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Again I have been remiss in my blogging duties and, again, I blame it on STILL not having Internet service at home. I have to have the rental agency fill out several papers in the name of my landlord in order to have Internet service connected. At this rate, I might have it up and running by Christmas. The best part of all of this is having called the Internet company 5-7 times today and pressing 3 for English only to get (EVERY TIME) a person who does not speak English and tells me in broken English that they can’t help me but they’ll have someone call me back. Rrrrrright. For me, one of the most frustrating things about living in a country where you don’t speak the language is not being able to do simple tasks on your own. That being said, I apologize to all my peeps for being so out of touch. I have no phone either so it’s tough to communicate. I think I’m getting an iPhone soon though, so that sitch will be remedied.

I have been getting the flat in order and I made another trip to hell (IKEA on a Saturday) to get some additional things. Hotel Sharkey is shaping up pretty nicely. It’s so great to have my couch back in my life; I hope we never separate again. 🙂

I’ve been having a lot of fun w/ a group of my American friends. I’ve met some other great people through them and we had a super fun night last Saturday. However, the older I get, the longer it takes me to recover from these all nighters. Sheesh. I’m in the “curl up with a good book” phase of my life but I’m glad I have young friends to still force me out sometimes. 🙂

My friend Anne’s dog Carrot is absolutely adorable and I’d like to adopt one of my own but I think it’s too much responsibility for me. I was imagining having to walk the dog in the middle of winter and crying the whole time. I guess my cat person tendencies run deep – not just the being crazy part but also the too lazy to walk a dog part. 🙂 So maybe I’ll look into the Hungarian kitty adoption options. Speaking of cats, Michael the cat turned 21 years old this week!!! WOO WOO! He was my high school graduation gift which makes me, in a word, old.

I’m off to have drinks with friends at an outdoor pub called a kertek or kert for short. It’s like a biergarten.

Jó éjt  (Good night)!

C

Apr4

Sharkey’s in District VI!

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I’ve been remiss in my blogging duties but you’ll forgive me as I just moved into my new flat and I still don’t have Internet service at home. There have been a few rough patches since I moved in but my shipment from the U.S. is supposed to arrive some time this week and I’m looking forward to unpacking and settling in. Despite the fact that the flat is partially furnished, I still foresee many an IKEA trip in my near future. These are the times when you long for a friend with a car or large truck. Mental note: make friends with someone who owns a vehicle. I’m looking forward to having my first guests!

My neighborhood is pretty cool with lots of bars and shops. I haven’t had the chance to fully explore but I will soon. It takes me about 15 minutes to walk to work. WALK TO WORK!!!! Amazing. When I get a bike, I’ll be able to shave that in half, assuming I don’t crash several times on the way each day.

Friday night I had dinner with a group of my American friends at a really great restaurant called Klassz. After two bottles of wine, and some experimentation with the water jug, we decided to form a band called The Sweet Exactlys (don’t steal the name b/c it is awesome). I’m on vocals and jug; Anne is on washboard; Theo plays the triangle and spoons; Stephen chose the mouth harp. Good times! We’re no Emmett Otter’s Jugband, but we try.

On Sunday evening my friend Anne (a fellow Buckeye!) made me a yummy dinner and we watched some American TV. She is fostering the cutest dog named Carrot. Speaking of dogs, a co-worker recently told me that some local Budapest politicians have actually run on anti-dog shit platforms. Seriously, watch where you step when you come visit me.

Tonight I ventured to the Mammut (“Mammoth” and it lives up to its name, complete with McDonald’s and T.G.I. Fridays) to get a fan so I can try to block out my rude-ass neighbor who feels he needs to listen to his TV at full blast night and day. I foresee some awesome and pointless arguments in our future during which each of us are screaming in our native languages to no avail. I will, of course, end the argument with “Don’t make me call the embassy!” America, fuck yeah!!!

We have the Monday after Easter off so I decided to go back to Munich for another visit. This time I’ll be flying but I’ll probably sing some Sound of Music on the way anyway. Speaking of (this will only appeal to true SOM nerds), after seeing a sign the other day that reminded me of the movie, I was mentally naming the seven von Trapp kids but I couldn’t remember one of the two boys. Turns out it was Kurt – the very same one Maria forgets during the scene when she’s praying aloud for each of them. Maria and I are kindred spirits. On that pathetic note…

C

Mar25

Hungary Will Let Anybody In!

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Hey Y’all,

It’s been a banner week for me in the great nation of Hungary, or the landlocked jewel of Central Europe, as I like to call it. The government has seen fit to grant me a residence permit (SUCKAHS!). They obviously weren’t able to access my extensive global criminal record. Dealing with the immigration office was far less hilarious than I thought it would be but I get to do it all over again next year when my U.S. passport expires. Weeeeeeeee!

Another big development: I GOT A FLAT and I love it! I am supposed to get the keys Monday. Living at the CEU dorm has been charming and everything but I gots to get into town so I can be at the heart of the action. My street is Kiraly utca (Key-rai oot-suh) which means “King Street.” Well, it’s fit for this queen anyway. 🙂 Here are pics of the flat. I really wanted an old-style place w/ wood floors, high ceilings and lots of windows and I got it. And, the best part it is, I have a guest room so there’s plenty of room for visitors! Remember, that invite is only applicable to people I like. The Kiraly is really in the heart of Pest, within walking/biking distance to lots of cool stuff including (imagine me singing this:) the OPERAAAAA!!!!!! ♫ ♫ ♪ ♪ ♥ ♥ So, next weekend I’ll be making a big ‘ol trip to IKEA for household stuff. Of course I am still waiting on my shipment from the U.S. including the couch to end all couches which, judging from the 69 days it took to be made and delivered to my Munich flat, was done so in the North Pole (actual place of origin: Poland). Don’t get me started on the couch, seriously.

On Thursday night my office mate Ildi and I attended a really wonderful concert at CEU titled Heaven in a Nightclub. It was a jazz trio – piano, bass and singer – and they were incredible. The singer, Ruth Naomi Floyd, has an amazingly rich and moving voice. When she sang Motherless Child, she cried. I know that feeling to be so overtaken by emotion when you are singing. We were lucky enough to get two encores out of them. After the concert I joined up with some American friends for a going-away party for my friend Anne’s boyfriend who, sadly, had to move back to NYC because he couldn’t find a job here.

A friend from Munich was supposed to visit this weekend but illness prevented that so I went out exploring again today on my own. I decided to go to the Holocaust Museum. As I’ve mentioned in earlier posts, I’ve been learning a lot about Budapest/Hungary  in the WW II era. I also recently learned that Budapest has the second-largest synagogue in the Europe and fifth-largest in the world (according to Wikipedia). I have seen it but I have not yet had the chance to visit it. The museum is, of course, very somber but I think it does a good job of explaining the events of the era, beginning with discriminatory laws that were put in place after WW I. You cannot go to places like this without contemplating man’s inhumanity to man. Next to a movie showing a piece about the growing intolerance and anti-intellectualism of Hitler’s Third Reich is a very profound and prophetic quote: “Where they have burned books, they will end in burning human beings.” – Heinrich Heine (1797-1856 German poet, essayist & journalist)

I had some errands to run after I went to the museum so I popped into the nearby mall. While I was there, I decided to just grab dinner from a Middle Eastern place in the food court (classy). The guy who was working the meat spit was the perfect combination of Omar Sharif (as Sherif Ali) and Peter O’ Toole (as Lawrence of Arabia); he had flawless dark skin and hair but he also possessed that same effeminate quality (including, I think, makeup) that Lawrence works so brilliantly. Anyway, I attempted to order a gyro but he thought I said Euro, so he was asking his colleagues if they took Euros. Just at that moment a Hungarian passerby took pity on me and translated. After Omar Sharif handed me my plate and I thanked him he said, “I love Germans. Guten Appetite!” Ha Ha! I always figure as soon as I open my mouth it’s obvious that I’m American (or maybe Canadian but I’m too rude to be a Canuck really). Since I’m at least 1/4 Kraut I suppose his guess wasn’t too far off.

Today I’m packing all my crap so I can move into my new place this week. YAY!!!!

We moved our clocks forward this weekend and spring is truly here. 🙂

C

Mar19

Schweinsteiger, Kaiserschmarrn and Meine Muenchen Freunden

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Hello!

Last Thursday marked the biggest national Hungarian holiday – the celebration of the revolution that won the nation freedom from Habsburg rule in 1848. And, to celebrate, I took off. 🙂 We had a 4-day weekend so I went back to my first European home, Deutschland. The train ride is ~7.5 hours (nearly the time it takes to fly from Cincinnati to Paris) but it’s mostly a nice ride. Believe me when I tell you that it makes a difference which train you take and ALWAYS take a German train if you have a choice. The Krauts (I can say that b/c I am at least 1/4 Kraut) know what they’re doing when it comes to transportation. German trains = BMWs and all other trains = Yugos. Or so I’ve been told (and so I saw w/ my own 2 eyes at the train station). I think I’ve only been on German trains so Lawd help me the day I board another, inferior train. 😉

Munich was lovely as always and the weather was outstanding. It was so wonderful to catch up w/ my pals there! A definite highlight of the trip was eating brunch at Kaisergarten where German football great Bastian Schweinsteiger (or, “pig mounter,” as his surname translates) was dining too with his model girlfriend. To explain how I reacted, I guess I have to revert back to the 2010 World Cup, during which I became what some might call obsessed with football. I was like an obnoxious super fan who rarely missed a match and, since I definitely inherited my dad’s loud voice and sports enthusiasm, my reactions were, um, memorable. Praise God that I didn’t own a vuvuzela. So, when I learned that Schweinsteiger was right next to us at the restaurant, I went a little nuts. At least I left him in peace, despite my minor fit at our table.

For our brunch dessert we had my FAVORITE German dessert, Kaiserschmarrn. It is a gift from the gods. For those of you who have never had the pleasure, it’s kind of like American pancakes, only approximately 8,000 times better. You can get it at fairs and festivals in Munich but the Kaisergarten in trendy Schwabing (Schweinsteiger’s neighborhood!) is probably the best I’ve ever had. It takes 45 minutes to prepare but it’s well worth the wait. Our group shared two orders and it somehow turned into a hypothetical world war for the last bite with representatives from Italy, Germany, Cameroon, India, Pakistan, Iran and the U.S. Of course the U.S. faction was the loudest and most obnoxious but we conceded the last piece despite our clear military superiority. 🙂 You’re welcome, other countries.

After stuffing ourselves it was off to the Englischer Garten, Munich’s gorgeous and gigantisch (gigantic) public park. It was the perfect day to sit in the sun and watch my friends play frisbee. And at least we burned off some of the Kaiserschmarrn biking around town. Sunday morning I was back on the train heading to Budapest. It was such a beautiful day and the scenic views between Munich and Salzburg are truly stunning. And, yes, I was listening to and singing (in my head) the entire Sound of Music soundtrack all the way to Salzburg. As always, I wanted to get the whole train in on an improvised version of the movie (starring myself as Maria von Trapp, of course) but the rational part of my brain sent the fanciful part to its room. Boo to sanity!

Can’t wait to see my Munich friends again!

C

Mar12

My First Visitor

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My good friend Mariana (originally from Portugal but now a Munich dweller) was here to visit two weekends ago and we had so much fun! I haven’t seen her for a year and a half so I was thrilled to get to spend time with her again. We went to the Gellert Baths to relax in super-warm mineral baths. I overdid it a bit and felt kind of faint but Mariana quickly nursed me back to health. 🙂

We also went to the opera and it was amazing! Tickets are incredibly cheap and the opera house is stunning! They were doing Tosca that night and I adored the soprano’s voice. I’m definitely going to make a habit of that.

For anyone not on Facebook, click here for my latest pics.

And consider yourself welcome in my new Budapest flat (as soon as I get one), unless I hate you. In that case, you can stay at a hostel or something and I’ll probably be “busy” the whole time you’re here. 😉

C

Mar8

A Little Piece of Paper

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Last week I went to see a flat that a friend of one of my co-workers is renting. It was my first trip to the Buda side of the Danube! In Budapest (at least right now), guards are posted at every Metro stop to check that people have valid passes/tickets before boarding the train and sometimes after too. As I was waiting for the woman to meet me, another woman tried to walk off the escalator and get by the guards without a valid ticket/pass. She was immediately stopped and began to loudly argue w/ the guards. She tried, again, to get away and a very large Hungarian guard blocked her way w/ his massive body. The woman continued to argue and purposely throw herself against the guard in what seemed like an act of defiance more than another attempt to get away. Hungary has been hit hard in recent years and many people are jobless/homeless and struggling. Metro passes aren’t cheap either, by Hungarian standards.

The scene at the Metro started me thinking about access and luck. I just finished an excellent but tragic book called The Envoy: The Epic Rescue of the Last Jews of Europe in the Desperate Closing Months of World War II. It chronicles the valiant efforts of Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish diplomat who saved tens of thousands (some estimates are over 100,000) of Jews from extermination at the hands of Hitler’s Third Reich. Before moving to Budapest I had no idea just how horrifying the situation was here. Wallenberg (w/ some support from the Swedish and U.S. governments) and a small group of other diplomats and sympathizers worked diligently to save lives and one way was to issue Schutzpasses to Jews which declared them Swedish citizens and, therefore, protected by the crown of Sweden. As the author points out, the Wehrmacht (Hitler’s armed forces) still respected some level of rule and diplomacy (that sounds ridiculous, I know) and allowed many Jews reprieve based on the papers. However, as the Soviet Red Army began to close in on Budapest, Nazis (under the local command of Adolf Eichmann) became more determined to succeed at completing the “Final Solution” in Hungary. Schutzpasses were no longer a guarantee of safety and groups of Jews were being led to the banks of the Danube to be shot and cast into the river like human refuse. Ultimately Wallenberg was taken prisoner by the Soviets who thought he was a German spy due to his frequent meetings w/ Eichmann and other high-ranking Nazis. The meetings were, of course, attempts to win the freedom of as many Jews as possible. He was taken to Moscow, imprisoned and never heard from again. The Russian government claimed that he had died in his cell of an apparent heart attack but his family spent decades trying to find out what really happened to him to no avail. This year marks the 100th birthday of Wallenberg and there will be exhibitions and events all around Budapest.

Again, I get to thinking about the haves and the have-nots and how one little piece of paper can make all the difference.

Raoul Wallenberg

Mar8

Welcome to Hungary; We Could Not Be More Annoyed That You’re Here!

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Let me preface this entry by saying that the overwhelming majority of Hungarians I have met and interacted with have been incredibly nice and accommodating (especially my co-workers). However, this post is not about them. I dedicate this post to those in Budapest who have waited on me in a customer service capacity with extreme frowns, exaggerated eye rolls and exasperated sighs. I love you all. As a person who spent many years in your field I have to say: I get it. People suck. And I am not someone you want to wait on b/c, first of all, I don’t speak Hungarian (or German or any other language you know unless you’re familiar w/ Pig Latin or Spanglish), I am going to have a million questions in addition to my initial question, then I’m going to require lots of detailed directions/instructions and, chances are (since I’m American), I will drop an “awesome” or “cool.” Let’s be real, I’m just jealous that you can huff and puff at me and get away with it. In the U.S., where “the customer is always right,” I had to eat shit lots of times when waiting on people. I like that you not only refuse to eat shit, you throw it in people’s faces (and maybe even smear it). So I’m going to continue to ask my annoying questions and you continue to be annoyed by me. Deal?

Feb27

Monday in Budapest

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I’m wicked tired but I wanted to just write about 2 things quickly. This morning as I walked to the crosswalk just outside the dorm where I’m staying, I met up w/ an older Hungarian woman who said something to me in Hungarian. Of course I didn’t understand her and I wasn’t even awake enough to say “I don’t speak Hungarian” but I think she got the picture. She then put her arm out as if I should take it and help her across the street. Fine, I thought, no problem. But clearly this daredevil granny was NOT willing to wait for some ridiculous crosswalk green light to tell her when she could go. She yanked me into the street in front of oncoming traffic (from both directions) which mercifully stopped, as did my heart. When we made it to the other side and my heart started up again she looked at me wryly as if to say, “that’s the way it’s done, sister!” Go granny, go granny, go granny go (but don’t take me with you). Our Hungarian admin. assis. confirmed for me later that this is common practice among the elderly female set. They are the Sophia Petrillos of Hungary and I hope I get to see some of them beating people w/ their handbags too!  🙂

I interviewed a PhD student today whose focus is socio-economic/human rights in Kenya, his home country. I was really moved by our conversation and by his commitment to social justice. He has been an activist for years and has worked as a program coordinator at Kituo Cha Sheria – Kenya (The Centre for Legal Empowerment) which is, as he explained it, a lot like Legal Aid in the U.S. Thanks to his and his colleagues’ hard work, the new (2010) Kenyan constitution has set up the framework to eliminate many archaic colonial laws that discriminate against Africans. There are so many people at CEU doing amazing work like this. It is really inspiring.

In lighter news, I did more sightseeing yesterday and I’ll post pics when I can keep my eyelids open sans toothpicks.

Goodnight from enchanting Budapest!

C