Aug 25, 2008 04:03
Hello!
Well, after a 23 hour final hurdle from Budapest to Bratislava to Dublin to Galway, I arrived home safe and extremely tired at dinner time on Thursday. Don't get me wrong, it was a great trip, but damn it felt good to be home. And I wasn't even "home" - my parents moved while I was gone but had left to Budapest a few hours before I got back, and my sister was in Budapest with us. So I arrived home to not only an empty house, but a house I've never lived in before! It was kind of surreal, but I was so happy to be back home that I didn't care at all at all.
I'm not really sure what to write here....I can hardly cover 13 countries and a little under 2 months in one entry. I haven't even started typing up my diary yet. I'll just give a few random infos/tips and then dive into some sort of quiz, because it's 4am and I'm listening to M83 ("Kim and Jessie" is definitely my song of the trip, do listen if you get a chance, he has myspace), and I'm typing on a laptop because my computer isn't online yet, so I really don't want to type that much :)
Eastern europe is cheap. I don't want to go into the best places and whatnot, they're all pretty good and it depends on your own personal interests and your experience there. But I think it's important to realize how cheap Eastern Europe is. You can easily travel on 30 euro day. Bejaysus don't get an interrail pass if you're heading east. Trains are ridiculously slow in lots of those countries, and most of the time you'll still have to pay some money for your ticket, they're essentially big discount cards. I think the whole area is seriously undervisitted by Irish youths - you could have a much longer trip for much less money if you keep it east side.
Be careful about food. My stomach is much happier now that it's back on a real dinner every day. Avoid eating fast food and whatnot. If you have the money eat in cheap restaurants, otherwise stick to buying things and cooking them in your hostel. It takes time and doesn't exactly give you an idea of the area's cuisine, but it's cheap and will keep your body much happier.
Be careful of who you travel with. Ideally travel alone or with one other. Big groups have tendancies to split, and wont be anywhere near as good as meeting people. If you must travel with more, consider them lots. I thought I'd be fine when leaving - I was traveling with my best friend and 3 other friends who I'd almost lived with for the month prior to leaving without any problems and much fun enjoyed. What I didn't account for was the 3 of them having girlfriends. This led to lots of call centres, much less going out, much more unhappy single guys (my friend and I) and thus much more splitting within the group. It's an issue I overlooked, and so would most people, but I cannot stress the importance of it. It really is a different traveling experience depending on whether you're taken or not, and it's tricky to mix travel experiences within a group.
Pack light. This one's obvious, but I mean other than clothes etc, give some serious thought to everyone. I lugged a sleeping bag and liner all around europe. I never onced used the liner, and only used the bag in Sziget, at our last destination. I could have easily bought one in Budapest instead. On the other hand, I brought a full size dreadnought acoustic guitar around on my back the entire trip. This I don't regret one bit. What I mean is do bring everything you really want to, just make sure you really want to :)
Sziget is awesome. Sziget costs 120 euro, is 7 days long and I've heard (not at all certain) that it's the joint biggest festival in europe. Oxegen was 250 euro this year (dunno what EP was?), for that you could easily get flights, your ticket and have some money left over. If you're a drinker it must be noted that drink is less than 2 euro a pint, less than 3 a shot in Sziget, and they don't do the annoying eco cup thing. So in essence, you'll save tonnes of money and get twice as much festival. And that's just the logistics. I'm not sure, but Sziget was possibly the best week of my life. I met so many new people, I had so many crazy adventures, I just....had so much fun. Not once did I get home before dawn. Which was handy, as we were camping in an unofficial site in the woods, so there were no lights. What you need to know about Sziget
* Sziget is an island right in the river, in between Buda and Pest.
* There are no knackers at Sziget
* There is almost no security at Sziget - you can easily crowdsurf or get up on someone's shoulders
* Drugs are ridiculously easily acquirable at Sziget...if you're into that
* Everyone in Sziget is friendly, it's so very easy to make friends there
* Sziget is your life for a week. It really isn't about the music at all. The lineup's always good, but I'd happily go again if I didn't know a single band on the lineup
The only downside I can see to Sziget is that it'll make you not want to go to any Irish festival again.
Enough about Sziget,
Q1) Last thing you burned while attempting to cook?
I have no idea....it's kinda hard to burn simple things and I like my meat on the rare side so I...never burn anything really. I burn black pudding every time I cook it but it's intentional so I'm not sure it counts. This sounds bad, I am not a good cook, I just don't burn things.
Q2) Describe yourself in three words?
Helpless, hopeless, David.
Q3) How long does it take to get ready for your day?
Depends how long my hair is. Yes I'm gay. Doesn't change that longer hair takes way longer to spike up. Saying goodbye to purple hair tomorrow, well, not completely, but will lose most of purple when I get it cut then it's just matter of time before I make someone dye it black for me.
Q4) Favorite place to blow 50?
Ummm....Thomann? Either there or some boozehole, 50 would be a ridiculous amount in night though.
Q5) How many people have you thought were "the one"?
None, I think..can't really remember.
Q6) What is something that turns you off from the opposite sex?
Physically? Umm...short hair. Don't like girls with short hair generally.
Q7) What kind of car do you drive?
A Mazda 323 1.7 Diesel with fur seats and fuzzy dice and I do love it so and miss it very much, waiting for my insurance to...unsuspend itself.
Q8) What's in your CD player right now?
Don't have a cd player...been mostly listening to Bright Eyes as always, want to get some more Kings of leon and babyshambles after Sziget. Kings of Leon weren't at Sziget, I was just with some die hard fans and remembered I quite like them.
Q9) What celebrity would you have coffee with?
Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes), or Neil Young. I feel I'd have alot to talk about with the former, I feel I could learn alot from the latter.
Q10) What celebrity would you NOT have coffee with?
Umm...annoying ones?
Q12) What time do you usually go to bed?
Late. Too late, really. It's quarter to 5 now.
Q13) Last movie you saw?
I haven't seen a movie since before I left....I have no idea...
Q14) Last TV show you watched?
Mile High. Was on the TV before I started typing this. Been watching TV the past few days, it's been interesting.
Q15) Who is my best friend?
Finbar, I'd imagine.
Q16) Who in your family do you best get along with?
My sister, we've always been very close, which is...rare for brother and sister. I do miss her, she lives in Budapest now.
Q17) Who do you have a crush on?
Just the one girl I'll never have. Well, unless I somehow win her heart, unlikely though. Which is a pity, as I do like her an awful lot, I can't find anything wrong with her at all at all, but sura, makes for good lyrics.
Q18) What time is it right now?
04:47
Q19) Are you planning a vacation/travel?
Nope, just back from one, considering moving to America, it's been stressing me out as the decision needs to be made in the next week or two, arrgh!
Q20) When/Where was the last time you traveled?
Properly? Got back on Thursday. Otherwise...Fozie drove me home from Hassan's house this evening.
Q21) How many times have you been in love?
Just the once.
Q22) How old will you be in 10 years?
29.
Q23) Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I'd like to say successful musician, but more likely some mundane crappy job yoke, for such is life.
Q24) Sinful snacking weakness?
Chocolate. I don't generally eat sweets at all, but when the mood takes me I can eat all the chocolate in the entire world. In one mouthful.
Q25) Roller Coasters?
Are fun.
Q26) Ever run out of gas?
Yup, both on moped and in car. I'm poor, okay?
Q27) Ever been on a train?
Many many many times. I've spent at least 4 or 5 days on trains the past 2 months alone. That's a strange thought.
Q28) Ever been on a blind date?
Nope. That'd be fun though. Someone arrange me a blind date. Secure them in the knowledge that I don't want a girlfriend prior, though.
Q29) Ever been to Europe?
Live here. Covered a good part of it in the past year also.
Q30) What would you do if you could be the opposite sex for one day?
Go chat up guys and get lots of free drinks. There's really nothing wrong with it. If a guy's stupid enough to buy you a drink, go for it :) otherwise...I dunno, be bad at driving? Oh...oh no...no he couldn't have..did he just..?
Q31) Would you tell anyone it was really you?
Fuck yeah, it'd be great fun altogether.
Q32) Ever been arrested?
Nope, touch wood!
Q33) Have a crush on anyone you work with?
Ever? Sure. Now, don't have a job :)
Q34) What is something you believe in?
That if you have any sort of a dream, you should risk everything to try and achieve it. I don't like the idea of a backup plan, but then again that's a very immature attitude. It's an attitude I enjoy, though.
Q35) What is something you fear?
Growing old and not having done what I wanted to do in life. Or regret in general, really. I like the idea of never regretting anything, thus it scares me.
Q36) Big or small?
Big, unless it's a girl, then small.
Q37) What is the worst physical pain you have ever experienced?
Waking up with a dislocated thumb in Bulgaria was pretty damn painful. It was very sore when it happened also, but being very drunk helped. I vaguely remember being in extreme pain before i got an operation on my crotchal area when I was like 5. I can't really remember that though, thank god. Urrgh.
Q38) What is your favorite television show?
The Whitest Kids U Know.
Q39) Ever photoshopped yourself to look better in a picture?
Not really, photoshopped myself to look different alot when I was just getting into it, never trying to look better though.
Q40) Tell us something about your childhood?
I refused to believe my name was David up until the age of 4 or 5. My name was Pete, and that was that. I still responded to David, I just introduced myself as Pete, I don't think I ever noticed anything strange about everyone calling me something different to what I called myself.
Q41) What would it cost you to flash the person next to you?
Unless it was someone old or important (important as in.....a bad person to flash, not necessarily someone important in life), I dunno, a tenner? Probably nothing. I don't really mind being naked around others at all, I'd worry about them being offended is all.
Q42) Best time to catch you in a good mood?
I'm a pretty happy person in general. Best time would be....when I'm eating, or when I'm just about to go to sleep.
Q43) If you could be anything for one day, what would it be?
Some kind of bird I guess. One that's just eaten, so that I can just fly around for the day.
Q44) Most prized possession?
I dunno really. I hold my necklace very dear considering one of it's wings has fallen off and I have no reason to hold it dear really. It's definitely the thing I'd be most afraid of losing though. Other than that, my lyrics book is definitely my most prized....actual possession kinda.
Q45) Would you ever sell it/how much?
Not unless we're talking millions upon millions. Like there would be a price, it'd just have to be high enough so that i can live the rest of my life happily without ever working. Actually maybe not even that. A million would be enough for either i think. It's bad to put a price on sentimental things, but at the end of the day i don't really *need* either.
Q46) What is one of your pet peeves?
I don't like it when people wear hats indoors. It really gets to me. I don't know why.
Q47) Favorite kind of ice cream?
Ben and Jerrys Phish food.
Q48) What song are you listening to right now?
Nothing right now, in general, Bright Eyes - Haligh, Haligh, a lie. Or M83 - Kim and Jessie.
Q49) If you could sucker punch one person who would it be?
I dunno, anyone I felt really deserved to be sucker punched. And that'd be a long list...
Q50) Would you like to tell us one of your secrets?
I don't have many secrets. I'm extremely afraid of commitment, to anything, not just girls. That's not really a secret though, it just doesn't come up alot. What else...I feel if I move to America I'm running away, and that that might be a good idea right now. But I have no idea what I'm running away from really. Yup.
quiz,
sziget,
traveling,
music