Zou don't realiye how much zou need the Internet until it's gone
(Budapest, Hungary)
Guess what? This is the FIRST time I've got Internet since leaving the hostel!! I found (somehow!!!) an internet signal! This is in the apartment next to Babi Néni. Hopefully the signal remains strong and I won't have to pay for an internet key from T-Mobile. Wish me luck!!
So this morning, Laura (my LDS roommate, almost 21) and I came with two full suitcases (but there's waaaay more still at Moszkva Tér) by metro -son't ask me how we made it- and we started cleaning the place. It's actually WAY dirtier than the apartment I've been in -I seem to go from one not so great place to the next- and I'm finding more and more rusty and broken handles and knobs as I clean. Darn it. We thought we had turned the water on, but after one flush in the stone age toilet, there's no more water. hm. We also tried to open the couch bed but it doesn't appear to work (right). It's also really old and fragile. Laura and I have wisely decided to both sleep on the couch part with our feet touching at the joining of the L shape. I think it'll work out. I'm not yet sure about the sheet situation. Hopefully Laura's friend can give us a twin bed so we can start trying to find a third person for the apartment. It would make it even more affordable and give us more company.
I didn't realize how dirty and old the buffet in the kitchen is. I'll have to buy liners for the shelves.
I think I will end up having to buy bookshelves or a desk. We have a "dining room table" now in the living room, and 6 chairs. One couch bed in the shape of an L, living room buffet (we'll use as a large dresser, I think), and a kitchen buffet. They haven't put in the stove or the washing machine yet, but I have high hopes that they'll be new, although I might be wrong and they could be used. hmm. That would bite.
Speaking of washing machines, I had ten HEADACHES trying to use the one at M. Tér. First I fought with it for a long time before figuring out how to turn the water on. Then it would spontaneously shut off. Then, it wouldn't start on the settings I wanted ("wanted" as in, I had no idea how to read the german so I started trying every setting), and then I had to wake up in the night and go into the bathroom to pull the laundry out and hang it up. Then I had to get the next load in. When Laura and her friend Réka arrived at 4am after a boat dance, I woke up, discovered that the washer never turned on, and then went and washed dishes and made the bed so Réka could sleep with me. Then I got up at 5:30 when Maman called and I started folding laundry (thank goodness for that space heater!!!) and yaddee yaddee. I left earlier than usual and arrived at school more on time for once. At lunch (by the way, this is my yesterday) I checked on my phone and saw that there was a text message from Laura: "call me right away! We're locked in! You took my keys!" See, usually I am the one who leaves my keys in the lock but this time Laura did, I mistook them for mine, and oops! They were forced to be there all day until they found on the couch in the kitchen. They said they had a great day, but... bummer.
I don't want to spend all my money! That's important. But I will need to buy a few dishes and glasses. Something tells me I'll save if I can find a 2nd-hand store or an expatriate who wants to get rid of their things. We'll see.
Laura leaves next Tuesday/Wednesday for her 6-week mini-mission. I hope to get everything sorted out and cleaned before she leaves so that I can smoothly transition into living here by myself -unless I'm lucky and find another roommate- and not be sitting around still in the Moszkva Tér apartment.
I had my first real Hungarian lesson yesterday evening at the church! Three sisters, Ancha, Audrey, and Eszti are teaching me some actual Hungarian! This means verbs and conjugations, etc.
I have a lot of fun at the young adult activities at the church in the evenings. I get to butcher Hungarian, be in good company, and eat food. There aren't too many interesting guys but there are a heck of a lot of missionaries in the evenings! There are so many in Budapest!
I am going to arrange a real Hungarian class/private lessons 2-4 hours a week through some language school. It's going to be really expensive but the cost will (theoretically) be off-set by the "savings" I'll incur from moving to this apartment.
My landlady at Moszkva Tér was NOT thrilled the other night when we called at 11pm because of the faucet in the bathroom that wouldn't turn off. I think she's annoyed by me, now. Too bad for her! I hope she doesn't change her mind about giving me back my full 2-months deposit when I leave the place! I plan to have my co-teacher Magdi be there when I give the keys back. She was the one that called for me when I wanted to let Marianne know that I was leaving (because of so many dumb problems). Ironically, I'll probably have more problems here at Gyongyosi. However, it is bigger, there is a separate bedroom in addition to the living room and kitchen, and it is cheaper. (AND I HAVE INTERNET??????? FOR FREE????). Thankfully Maman brought and bought me some nice things to furnish the place. It'll make it easier to be comfortable.
Maybe I should sign up for a blog (or at least use my journal...), I've been writing comments, notes, and "things" in the margins of my Anthony Bourdain book ("A Cook's Tour") since I started reading it on all my bus rides. What was just a fun book to read at first has become a valuable thing. hm.
I have a new favorite song: Justin Timberlake's "It's Too Late to Apologize"
I need to use the toilet but I have no idea how to get the water to come out! Dang it! I hear there's wifi at all the McDonalds (I think I counted 28 McD's on a map, in Budapest!) so I could drag my laptop there. Perhaps they would have a public restroom as well? Actually, I finally just went and used the toilet. But I couldn't flush. So I climbed up the wall and peered into the tank but lo and behold, there's no water! I couldn't figure out where it's supposed to come from, either. uhoh.
Alright, if anyone has a good blog site to recommend, please let me know! I am definitely rambling. Maybe I ought to resurrect my livejournal? I'll think about it. I did think about it. I have logged in and copy-pasted this e-mail into an entry.
By the way I haven't heard back from the manager at the hostel in Prague (I sent him a brief e-mail regarding my interest in working there as of January). Being a teacher is VERY DIFFICULT. Translated: I am terrible at planning! And the kids always do unexpected things! Even at the pre-school they have the attention spans of flies!
MONIKASZOFIKA
Guess what? This is the FIRST time I've got Internet since leaving the hostel!! I found (somehow!!!) an internet signal! This is in the apartment next to Babi Néni. Hopefully the signal remains strong and I won't have to pay for an internet key from T-Mobile. Wish me luck!!
So this morning, Laura (my LDS roommate, almost 21) and I came with two full suitcases (but there's waaaay more still at Moszkva Tér) by metro -son't ask me how we made it- and we started cleaning the place. It's actually WAY dirtier than the apartment I've been in -I seem to go from one not so great place to the next- and I'm finding more and more rusty and broken handles and knobs as I clean. Darn it. We thought we had turned the water on, but after one flush in the stone age toilet, there's no more water. hm. We also tried to open the couch bed but it doesn't appear to work (right). It's also really old and fragile. Laura and I have wisely decided to both sleep on the couch part with our feet touching at the joining of the L shape. I think it'll work out. I'm not yet sure about the sheet situation. Hopefully Laura's friend can give us a twin bed so we can start trying to find a third person for the apartment. It would make it even more affordable and give us more company.
I didn't realize how dirty and old the buffet in the kitchen is. I'll have to buy liners for the shelves.
I think I will end up having to buy bookshelves or a desk. We have a "dining room table" now in the living room, and 6 chairs. One couch bed in the shape of an L, living room buffet (we'll use as a large dresser, I think), and a kitchen buffet. They haven't put in the stove or the washing machine yet, but I have high hopes that they'll be new, although I might be wrong and they could be used. hmm. That would bite.
Speaking of washing machines, I had ten HEADACHES trying to use the one at M. Tér. First I fought with it for a long time before figuring out how to turn the water on. Then it would spontaneously shut off. Then, it wouldn't start on the settings I wanted ("wanted" as in, I had no idea how to read the german so I started trying every setting), and then I had to wake up in the night and go into the bathroom to pull the laundry out and hang it up. Then I had to get the next load in. When Laura and her friend Réka arrived at 4am after a boat dance, I woke up, discovered that the washer never turned on, and then went and washed dishes and made the bed so Réka could sleep with me. Then I got up at 5:30 when Maman called and I started folding laundry (thank goodness for that space heater!!!) and yaddee yaddee. I left earlier than usual and arrived at school more on time for once. At lunch (by the way, this is my yesterday) I checked on my phone and saw that there was a text message from Laura: "call me right away! We're locked in! You took my keys!" See, usually I am the one who leaves my keys in the lock but this time Laura did, I mistook them for mine, and oops! They were forced to be there all day until they found on the couch in the kitchen. They said they had a great day, but... bummer.
I don't want to spend all my money! That's important. But I will need to buy a few dishes and glasses. Something tells me I'll save if I can find a 2nd-hand store or an expatriate who wants to get rid of their things. We'll see.
Laura leaves next Tuesday/Wednesday for her 6-week mini-mission. I hope to get everything sorted out and cleaned before she leaves so that I can smoothly transition into living here by myself -unless I'm lucky and find another roommate- and not be sitting around still in the Moszkva Tér apartment.
I had my first real Hungarian lesson yesterday evening at the church! Three sisters, Ancha, Audrey, and Eszti are teaching me some actual Hungarian! This means verbs and conjugations, etc.
I have a lot of fun at the young adult activities at the church in the evenings. I get to butcher Hungarian, be in good company, and eat food. There aren't too many interesting guys but there are a heck of a lot of missionaries in the evenings! There are so many in Budapest!
I am going to arrange a real Hungarian class/private lessons 2-4 hours a week through some language school. It's going to be really expensive but the cost will (theoretically) be off-set by the "savings" I'll incur from moving to this apartment.
My landlady at Moszkva Tér was NOT thrilled the other night when we called at 11pm because of the faucet in the bathroom that wouldn't turn off. I think she's annoyed by me, now. Too bad for her! I hope she doesn't change her mind about giving me back my full 2-months deposit when I leave the place! I plan to have my co-teacher Magdi be there when I give the keys back. She was the one that called for me when I wanted to let Marianne know that I was leaving (because of so many dumb problems). Ironically, I'll probably have more problems here at Gyongyosi. However, it is bigger, there is a separate bedroom in addition to the living room and kitchen, and it is cheaper. (AND I HAVE INTERNET??????? FOR FREE????). Thankfully Maman brought and bought me some nice things to furnish the place. It'll make it easier to be comfortable.
Maybe I should sign up for a blog (or at least use my journal...), I've been writing comments, notes, and "things" in the margins of my Anthony Bourdain book ("A Cook's Tour") since I started reading it on all my bus rides. What was just a fun book to read at first has become a valuable thing. hm.
I have a new favorite song: Justin Timberlake's "It's Too Late to Apologize"
I need to use the toilet but I have no idea how to get the water to come out! Dang it! I hear there's wifi at all the McDonalds (I think I counted 28 McD's on a map, in Budapest!) so I could drag my laptop there. Perhaps they would have a public restroom as well? Actually, I finally just went and used the toilet. But I couldn't flush. So I climbed up the wall and peered into the tank but lo and behold, there's no water! I couldn't figure out where it's supposed to come from, either. uhoh.
Alright, if anyone has a good blog site to recommend, please let me know! I am definitely rambling. Maybe I ought to resurrect my livejournal? I'll think about it. I did think about it. I have logged in and copy-pasted this e-mail into an entry.
By the way I haven't heard back from the manager at the hostel in Prague (I sent him a brief e-mail regarding my interest in working there as of January). Being a teacher is VERY DIFFICULT. Translated: I am terrible at planning! And the kids always do unexpected things! Even at the pre-school they have the attention spans of flies!
MONIKASZOFIKA