(no subject)
Thursday, Dec 28
Late last night 2 men from Tokyo arrived after 15 hours of sleepless flying and we had a totally delirious conversation about HK films, anime, and long stupid flights. I totally failed to impress them with my few phrases of Japanese, but I did manage to impress them with being from Seattle (Ichiro!) and with the ridiculousness of getting only two weeks of vacation per year. Even the Japanese, whom we think of as being some of the hardest working people in the world, get something like a month and a half per year.
It was a slow day in general- We had to change hostels and Leah had to pick up a Hungarian phone because of stupidity with Orange that I won't even describe because it's too irritating. That took up most of the morning, and fucking around on the internet, buying groceries, and generally being tired took up most of the afternoon. I ended up passing out at like 8 and then wok up at 3am totally unable to sleep. Which is fine because the time difference meant that this was a perfect time to call home.
After the phone call I intended to smoke a cigarette and head to bed but then the Finnish guy I'd been talking to earlier came back and told me he'd just been to a metal show on one of the boats down by the Danube, and I had to sit around and be jealous for a while. And then this Dutch guy rolled in drunk as shit and offered me champagne. I ended up drinking most of the bottle for him (at 4am) because he really didn't need any more. It was nice Spanish champagne and I've never had anything other than the $5 bottle of Cook's. We stayed up till like 7 talking about legalized prostitution, EU politics and economy, deaf culture, bikes (he used to run a repair shop in Utrecht) and god knows what else. I was stoked on how cool he was to talk to but now I think he has a crush on me and is staying in town longer just to be near me. He knows I have a boyfriend and am not interested and is not being actively icky, but just keeps popping in to my 12-person dorm to say hi and stuff and leaving notes on my bed saying I can meet him at some bar later if I'm bored and maybe he's being friendly but I think not so much.
Friday, Dec 29
I went back to bed for an hour or so after the champange and then woke up and stupidly partook in the free breakfast while not completely sober. On top of that I was so out of it that I poured myself a big bowl of the free cereal, which was corn flakes. I am allergic to corn. I didn't really think about the fact that cereal might contain it. So between that and the dairy milk I poured on it, I ended up yarfing. Awesome. But I walked off the ick in City Park and managed to find all kinds of museums and buildings I'd never seen before even though I was here for a month the last time. Also, there was a winter ice skating rink right in front of the ancient impressive architecture of the Vajdahunyad Castle. I really enjoy the juxtaposition of old and new, especially when the new is lit up with neon, spotlights, and blasting techno music. Tee hee.
After that Leah and I met up for lunch and had a margarita and a whiskey each at like 1pm because we could.
This town is getting so fucking touristy and crowded with all these people coming in for new year's.. I think Leah and I might hop a short train over to Bratislava in Slovakia or Salzburg in Austria. Maybe we'll just stay here, too. But those are two places I keep kicking myself for not going to.
Late last night 2 men from Tokyo arrived after 15 hours of sleepless flying and we had a totally delirious conversation about HK films, anime, and long stupid flights. I totally failed to impress them with my few phrases of Japanese, but I did manage to impress them with being from Seattle (Ichiro!) and with the ridiculousness of getting only two weeks of vacation per year. Even the Japanese, whom we think of as being some of the hardest working people in the world, get something like a month and a half per year.
It was a slow day in general- We had to change hostels and Leah had to pick up a Hungarian phone because of stupidity with Orange that I won't even describe because it's too irritating. That took up most of the morning, and fucking around on the internet, buying groceries, and generally being tired took up most of the afternoon. I ended up passing out at like 8 and then wok up at 3am totally unable to sleep. Which is fine because the time difference meant that this was a perfect time to call home.
After the phone call I intended to smoke a cigarette and head to bed but then the Finnish guy I'd been talking to earlier came back and told me he'd just been to a metal show on one of the boats down by the Danube, and I had to sit around and be jealous for a while. And then this Dutch guy rolled in drunk as shit and offered me champagne. I ended up drinking most of the bottle for him (at 4am) because he really didn't need any more. It was nice Spanish champagne and I've never had anything other than the $5 bottle of Cook's. We stayed up till like 7 talking about legalized prostitution, EU politics and economy, deaf culture, bikes (he used to run a repair shop in Utrecht) and god knows what else. I was stoked on how cool he was to talk to but now I think he has a crush on me and is staying in town longer just to be near me. He knows I have a boyfriend and am not interested and is not being actively icky, but just keeps popping in to my 12-person dorm to say hi and stuff and leaving notes on my bed saying I can meet him at some bar later if I'm bored and maybe he's being friendly but I think not so much.
Friday, Dec 29
I went back to bed for an hour or so after the champange and then woke up and stupidly partook in the free breakfast while not completely sober. On top of that I was so out of it that I poured myself a big bowl of the free cereal, which was corn flakes. I am allergic to corn. I didn't really think about the fact that cereal might contain it. So between that and the dairy milk I poured on it, I ended up yarfing. Awesome. But I walked off the ick in City Park and managed to find all kinds of museums and buildings I'd never seen before even though I was here for a month the last time. Also, there was a winter ice skating rink right in front of the ancient impressive architecture of the Vajdahunyad Castle. I really enjoy the juxtaposition of old and new, especially when the new is lit up with neon, spotlights, and blasting techno music. Tee hee.
After that Leah and I met up for lunch and had a margarita and a whiskey each at like 1pm because we could.
This town is getting so fucking touristy and crowded with all these people coming in for new year's.. I think Leah and I might hop a short train over to Bratislava in Slovakia or Salzburg in Austria. Maybe we'll just stay here, too. But those are two places I keep kicking myself for not going to.