After being here for about a month, I'm definitely settled in, and not looking back. But there are some things about living here that are constant reminders that I'm not in Kansas anymore.
Not only are some things different but I've started to crave things that I don't typically want, but because I can't really find it here (or can't read the labels) I'm left without!
Here's a running list of things that I miss or crave...
1. A GOOD TOWEL. (In all caps because it's a pain in the butt) The towels I have here are really cheap and every time I dry myself of after showering I end up with blue or green towel bits all over me. They also seem somewhat water resistant, and don't soak up a lot of water, but take about 3678 hours to dry.
2. English!! It's hilarious how in tune to English I am now... I mean that if someone within a 100 meter radius is speaking/whispering/crying/chuckling/yelling in English, I can hear it loud and clear. Hungarian is recognized as one of the hardest languages to learn and I can only recognize a word here or there, so hearing English (Australian, British, or broken English) is like being home again. I try to smile at and make friends with every English speaking person.
3. A comfortable bed. Mom, remember that time we upholstered that bench that dad made with a pice of foam and fabric? Pretty sure that my bed is made out of 4 pieces of foam. It is extremely uncomfortable and some days I feel like I have bruises from the way I have slept. Not only that but I have one pillow of which the quality is a C- at best. My sheets are scratchy...I don't expect satin sheets but I expect something a little better than sand paper!
4. Dunks Runs. I would enjoy nothing more than driving to dunks right now, blasting music with my friends, and getting a nice iced coffee, or coolatta, or vanilla chai with a toasted sesame bagel with veggie cream cheese. Every time I order iced coffee over here I end up with cold coffee with a plop of ice cream in it. ...Okay? Haha, and I miss bagels. Not necessarily Dunks bagels, but a warm New Jersey bagel would really make me happy.
5. Starbucks/Good Coffee. It's just not the same. Which is funny because over here you see them grind the beans, and the quality of the coffee is amazing, and delicious. But unless you want an espresso or something of the sort...American coffee is stronger, more flavorful, and bigger (it gets the job done!).
6. TV/Watching a movie and relaxing. I have only tried to watch TV once. There are 4 English channels, and I miss flipping through the channels and chilling out before doing my homework. I know I shouldn't be wasting my time watching TV when I'm over here...but it would just be nice to watch a movie before I go to bed. You know what I mean.
7. American toilets. European toilets are strange. And I've encountered some "squatters" that I can only compare to that scene from Slumdog Millionaire.
8. Food shopping with ease. Every day brings a new struggle. It's impossible to read labels, it's very comical. We've ended up with sour cream instead of yogurt. Imagine my roommate putting a huge spoonful in his mouth, expecting yogurt but tasting sour cream...HILARIOUS. Imagine opening a stick of butter and seeing a stick of green, smelly stuff. Buying meat is hard. We don't know what it is (ham? bologna? prosciutto?), or what part of the animal it is from. The butchers rarely speak English.
9. Driving. Well this one is obvious. But I have been in a car...a BMW no less. But driving here is scary. You can only make left turns on about .02% of streets. But being a pedestrian is way worse. I'm not sure that pedestrians even have the right of way. I have almost been hit by a cop (cops are the worst drivers of them all, they completely ignore the basically nonexistent speed limit and go about 80 mph down streets).
10. People smiling. Hungarians are really awesome people, a lot of the Hungarians I've met absolutely crack me up, but they are also a very bitter people. They've had a rough history and aren't quick to forgive or forget. They don't talk a lot on public transportation (so of course the loud Americans stick out) and they really like to self regulate. Imagine putting your foot up on a seat after a long day...and expect to get yelled at, or having your leg pushed down, or just getting glared at. They are not quick to cut loose. Also, imagine getting tackled when standing on the tram just because some guy wants to get off. I caused a pile-up on the tram because some man did this to me when I was standing like a sardine with nowhere to go.
11. The smell of deodorant. Americans are cleanly and hygienic. I will never complain about the rare stench of B.O. again because that and greasy hair and bad teeth are common here. YUM!
That's all I really feel like writing right now, but I'm sure I'll be able to think of more at a later date. I'm not complaining about any of these things (well, maybe, but playfully of course). It's just an adjustment, and I'm certainly enjoying myself more than I'm complaining.
Today I'm going to a horse festival that's just down the street, a street fair literally at the end of my block, and a chocolate festival tonight up at Buda Castle. Things I absolutely wouldn't be able to experience in America. And of course, I'll have a glass of delicious Hungarian wine and say "CHEERS TO THAT."
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