budapest buddaquest

Back in the US

2009-07-17T02:28:00.001-07:00

after a long day of flights, I was met with a warm welcome at the airport, and an evening of seeing friends. Thanks everyone.

PhotoExperiments

2009-07-14T03:06:00.002-07:00

The View Out the Window

View it BIG!!! Click on it...wait for it to load and enjoy!

EDIT: Here are more:

Climbing Trees

2009-07-09T09:35:00.002-07:00

while hiking in the Buda Hills. Enjoyed the fine summer day and company with the two remaining Brazilians. Also snapped a few cool photos.

Final Activites

2009-07-08T02:06:00.002-07:00

I bought some red pants. And snazzy soccer shoes. I've been cleaning, organizing, finalizing. Meeting up for final lunches. Going out for final drinks. Listening to lots of new music. Still enjoying old music.

Hmm, with all this time there should finally be photos sorted and edited and posted online soon!

2009-07-06T03:12:00.000-07:00

waiting on Kevin

2009-06-30T16:55:00.003-07:00

It's 1:56 am here. I'm staying awake anticipating kevin's arrival to the apartment. As I lie in bed listening to the sounds of the street meandering their way up into my window, floating up on the summer night breeze, I hear a tenor voice call "Maria, Maria...Maria, Maria," the insouciant swing urging a Dave Brubeck melody. I search iTunes and find the tune and put it on.

Kevin just arrived. Different noises coming the window now...smacking and groans. It's only Wednesday. This city.

Long Time No Post

2009-05-19T02:51:00.002-07:00

But the important part is that I'm in CROATIA ENJOYING THE BEACHES

Check out photos:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stencilarizona/

My camera feels neglected...

2009-04-29T15:19:00.002-07:00

as may you if you noticed the recent drop in d (blog_post)/dt (rate of blog posts per time in derivative format). School is really crunching in these last weeks, scheduling extra class, meeting with professors, and working on the programming in our research project. I haven't had time to get many good photos in. However, there is good news for the camera, and after the weekend good news for you: I'm traveling to Transylvania this weekend with the Erasmus group. This means good fun with the group of international kids, new pictures of an amazing destination and a good picture post next week. So Stay Tuned, don't touch that dial.

Szechenyi Bath

2009-04-24T16:27:00.003-07:00

Recipe for a perfect Friday:
1. Sleep In.
2. Wake up and eat delicious leftover pasta with Goat cheese. Find friends online to chat.
3. Spend the afternoon at Szechenyi Bath, probably the best thermal bath in Budapest.
4. Enjoy the outdoor thermal pools, the indoor hot and cold tubs, the saunas ranging from 30 to 90 Celcius, the cold plunge pool after the sauna, and the sunshine of course.
5. Ride the Metro 1 and Tram 4/6 home, fall asleep on the couch for two hours from the sun.
6. Wake and finish eating the pasta. Yum!
7. Go on a run to Hero's square and back to the Apartment while listening to the iPod.
8. Clean around the house, and then jump in the shower.
9. Post a Blog about how good your day was.

Critical Mass Budapest

2009-04-19T14:14:00.004-07:00

The Danube Bend

2009-04-19T10:03:00.003-07:00

On Friday, us boys went castle exploring in Northern Hungary along the Danube Bend. We stopped by the cities of Estergom and Visegrad to brave rainy weather and awe at the beauty of the region. Estergom has a huge Basilica, as it was once the capital and religious seat of Hungary. Visegrad has a hilltop castle that was once a stronghold along the Danube for Hungary. It was a time traveling trip into the mediveal past of the area. Check out the pictures on flickr, they do better justice than my words.

Good News Everyone

2009-04-15T11:19:00.003-07:00

I'm working on my posture. The test I had today went well. The pictures of the weekend are going up on flickr. Here's a preview:Enjoy!!!!!

Vienna, Wein, Becs

2009-04-13T13:34:00.001-07:00

It's all the same place, silly. I'll put up pictures and more type up tomorrow. But let it be known, not only was the company and the city great, I got to ride a bike!

Busy Engineers

2009-04-10T04:57:00.007-07:00

Ahh, I'm having trouble finding the time to be online. Things are picking up over here. School is getting busy, and we're getting cracking on our research project. Production Engineering is becoming very interesting; we're learning about industrial robotics in manufacturing, and are programming a training robot.
Here is a training Robot, running off an old Dos machine with about a Megabyte of RAM. It was made by some of the university students as a PHD project some 10 or 15 years ago. This is what we're starting out programming.
Look at this bad boy go. This was top of the line in the late 1980s, built by the current cell phone company NOKIA. They did some automated workpiece placement research on this setup in the early 90's, and now it's also for student training.
Here is our lab space at the University. There's a Microprocessor which we are learning to program for a Ultrasonic Distance Sensor. Not too complicated, but we have to learn lots of C quick. We're using the Oscilloscope to look for interference if multiple US sensors are operating at once.
After school we hurried to buy tickets for a quick trip to Vienna on Sunday and Monday (Easter Holiday on Monday!).
And of course sometimes we relax for a late lunch break.

Blossoms

2009-04-08T03:02:00.002-07:00

Oh, this is what a change in season is like...

2009-04-04T11:00:00.005-07:00

How could you stay inside when it's this nice out???

We've grilled, played frisbee, and enjoyed sunshine in the park the past two days.

Tourist Season is Starting

2009-04-02T11:18:00.002-07:00

I know because they started making announcements in English on the tram today.

The weather is getting great...the trees have buds, soon to turn in to leaves. The flowers are blooming, the grass is green. There is sunlight lingering around into the evening. ahhh.

Budapest Opera

2009-04-01T13:47:00.002-07:00

Tonight's Dinner

2009-03-31T11:25:00.000-07:00

Poland Weekend Notebook

2009-03-31T10:55:00.003-07:00

The Notebook excerpt from Krakow:

3-27-2009 Friday Morning
5:40 AM - Oh crap I woke up late. Oh no, why didn't my alarm go off, oh man, they're about to leave...oh wait, phone, "Olli, have you left? No? give me 15 minutes. OK" RUNNNNN!!!!

6:20 AM On the bus, made it only ten minutes late. Whew!

16:00 Arrival in Krakow, The Castle and River right in front of us. Finally here after the salt mine tour and the loong bus ride. Snow and Rough roads for most of the journey, beautiful snow covered pines shrouded in fog in Slovakian Mountains. The salt mine proved the Polish have distant dwarf relatives. It was HUGE considering most of the mining was done over 100 years ago and started over 400 years ago. Salt carvings of everything, even a gigantic underground Cathedral completely carved out of salt. Statues and carvings covering everything. Who would have thought it'd be so cool?
In the evening we had a pretty delicious "Traditional" Polish dinner, good soup, a sauerkraut like dish, wholesome bread and a piece of cheesecake for desert. (hey, cheese cake isn't polish). I fell asleep when we arrived back at the hostel and was woken at 11 pm to "go out". When in Poland...

3-28-2009 Saturday
8:30 AM Wake. Quietly slip through the hostel and downstairs in search of an Americano. Takeshi joins me and we wander for a bit for early morning snapshots in the still wet streets from the previous night's rain. It looks like the sky has cleared up though and the sun is already going strong.

10:00 AM The hive has begun to buzz. Hostelers, us and others, have awoken and are hungry, descending on the hostel kitchen for the free cereal and toast. Glad I woke early to beat the crowd. I switch on the radio in the common room and "I shall be free" starts playing.

13:30 Krakow is an amusement park for grown-ups and a fulfillment of fairyland towns; castle, river, gardens, old cobblestone, horse drawn carriages, jesters, mimes, street performers, flower stalls and people generally enjoying themselves. You barely notice the tourist, or the tourist become villagers too.

14:00 Pizza, Calzones! Spinach, onion, black olives, cheese! The Brazilians are flirting with the Polish waitress

14:35 More Mimes

15:30 Sunshine and Tyskie Beer in the city square at a patio table.

17:30 Sunset beside the river after a stroll around the ring park. Polish beer! Olli and Francisco are hanging out too. I'm writing postcards, I have my shoes off and am enjoying the breeze on my feet and grass beneath. The Castle towers over my left shoulder.

Lizard King in the evening for some live music.

3-29-2009 Move your watches forward. I've never had to worry about daylight savings time before. There was some confusion and panic at the hostel in the morning...Gabriel had been though to be lost, very drunk, possibly missing, but after some searching we realized he had just been sleeping in an empty room of the hostel on the top bunk in a hidden corner. Funny in retrospect. Ah, the joys of traveling with a big group. We're now on the drive to Auschwitz, on a toll road through the Polish countryside: Villages with chimneys bellowing white smoke, castle ruins on distant hilltops, swamps, a bizarre bunch of dome buildings connected by glass hallways, like a sci-fi moon habitat, wonder what that was...

Haze and rain at the exit of the highway...fitting mood for the destination

16:30 Standing at the gates of Birkenau. Cold, Muddy, Dreary, Solemn. Almost unbelievable and overwhelming.

long ride home...arrive back in Budapest at 1 AM!

Poland Weekend

2009-03-30T17:10:00.002-07:00

Pictures at FLICKR...description coming soon.
-Friday: Drive through Slovakia and Wieliczka Salt Mines
-Saturday: Krakow!!!
-Sunday: Auschwitz and the return home

Self Portrait

2009-03-26T10:46:00.002-07:00

Margit-sziget Exploration

2009-03-25T11:06:00.011-07:00

Olli had the greatest idea ever for this afternoon after magyaóra to explore around northern Buda, in search of Roman ruins and scenic views. We completed the task successfully.

Ideas

2009-03-24T13:15:00.002-07:00

Still working on yours Hunter.

Muesli Y2K Style

2009-03-23T16:43:00.002-07:00

Czech it Out! Prague Weekend

2009-03-22T11:25:00.004-07:00

More Pictures on FLICKR

Notebook:

3-19-2009

15:45 Nepliget Bus Station, Budapest. Backpack is packed with snacks and supplies. Remember, 20 CZK = 1USD. I'm traveling with 5 Finnish. The rest of the group is heading out tomorrow.

18:00 Electric Windmills in Northern Hungary. Snow and Sunsets in Slovakia.

11:45 Bus arrives in Prague. It's cold! We orient ourselves towards the hostel.

3-20-2009

0:20 Arrival at Sir Toby's Hostel. Check in and drop off our bags. Head downstairs to the Hostel's pub to relax, have a Pilsner (Czech Beer!) and talk with other travelers. We decided to venture our for late night food. We find "Pizza Go Home" We should have followed the name and gone home, because it was pretty bad. Oh well, you learn.

9:30 I wake up early, and have some coffee while everyone else wakes. Eventually everyone mingles downstairs for Sir Toby's delicious breakfast buffet: yogurts, granola, dried fruits, fresh fruits, tomatoes, cucumber, toasts with butter, nutella, jam, honey, sweetened condensed milk, balkan cheese, swiss cheese, hard boiled eggs, pans and eggs for self-made omelets, juice, iced coffee, tea, and...I guess that's about everything! Head out into town with the Finnish.

12:30 Old Town Square, Prague. The light snow is fitting for the last day of spring. It's beautiful here.

13:00 Bong, Bong, Bong! goes the intricate astronomical clock tower. After the spectacle, we go to a Mucha and Salvador Dali Exhibit.

15:00 Crossing the Charles Bridge. More Snow! Winter Wonderland! We head into a restaurant for warmth and tummy filling...I order Onion Soup!

15:40 There's the sun, breaking through the clouds. Perfect for a stroll down to Lennon Wall, a little alley tucked away off the main street that had been a protest spot against communism...the name comes from numerous Beatles lyrics scrawled on the wall and Lennon portraits done in spray paint. Photos!

16:30 Prague Castle, breath-taking. Exploration and Wandering mode is in effect. We meet up with the Italian dudes and...

17:50 Beer! More Pilsner Urquell in a little pub.

20:30 Quick Tesco stop, restaurant searching, regrouping, return to the hostel. The rest of the group has begun to arrive.

22:00 Dinner with the Italians at a restaurant next door to Sir Toby's. Afterwards we play card games (with Mucha cards, obviously) and then head downtown to see the clubs of Prague.

3-21-2009

10:00 Hooray for Spring! It's sunny outside today. Delicious breakfast at Sir Toby's, and heading back into town, this time with 2 Finnish, 3 French, 1 Canadian, 1 Singaporean.

12:00 Clock Tower in Old Town Square again! Street performers are playing Jazz. It feels like spring. Extreme Exploration Mode!

16:00 Rendezvous with others of the group around the Castle. I'm just taking in the surroundings and the awesomeness of it all.

17:45 We walk up the hill and climb to the top of Petrin Tower (Prauge's "Eiffel Tower") for amazing views of the city from above. iPod - "Buffalo Soldier" Prague Sunsets are amazing from above. We made it inside the Tower just as they were closing...we seem to be really good at timing this entire weekend.

19:25 When in Prague, try Absinthe! and then more Czech Beers. We walk by the dancing building and continue to stroll along the Vltava River. Small paper lanterns are floating up into the night sky, taking flight from a small islands. Swans float in the river. PICTURESQUE.

22:00 Return to the hostel and relax with the group.

3-22-2009

5:00 Awake somehow. Pack up and are out the door by 5:45.

6:25 Board the return bus to Budapest...

Transport is Arranged - Prague

2009-03-19T04:38:00.002-07:00

Looking forward to an exciting weekend in Prague. Backpack is stuffed with essentials: clothes, camera, iPod, peanuts, grapefruit, book, map. See you in a few days-

Things I'm Currently Psyced On

2009-03-18T11:39:00.005-07:00

-After a little scuds and scrubs, our kitchen is finally clean again
-Bulk trash pick is this weekend and piles of trash are appearing on the sidewalks, bizzare
-This crazy nice McDonalds at Nyugati Train Station
-Tomorrow afternoon I'm getting on a bus to go see Prague for the Weekend!
-These pics I took for you

Batman!!!

2009-03-16T12:08:00.003-07:00

EDIT: Decided to see Watchmen instead because it's so AWESOME. Dark Knight later this week.

Since I was slow and did not watch The Dark Knight when it was in theaters in the US, I thought I would be doomed to only ever be able to watch it on smaller scale TV or Laptop. But this is Budapest. I found a theater that is still showing it on THE BIG SCREEN, so that is my big plan for tonight. I'm Excited!

Important Facts About March 15th

2009-03-15T12:11:00.002-07:00

-Ides of March
-1848 Hungarian Revolution (sort of a Hungarian Independence Day)
-I've been here for two months
-It was raining outside today
-It's Sumit's Birthday. Happy Birthday Sumit!

King of the Hill

2009-03-14T10:45:00.009-07:00

Ahh, beautiful weather! Sunshine! The great outdoors! While visiting Robert in freezing German January, he wisely pointed out everyday the weather gets a little better; this week it is really starting to show. Note that I'm just wearing a t-shirt...yep, no jacket today! Taking full advantage of oncoming spring, I went hiking in the Buda hills with Jake from Wisconsin. Riding to the end of tram 61 puts you on the extent of the city and the beginning of nature. We hiked up to an observation tower, atop which we were able to see Budapest in its entirety below. Awesomeness.

End of the line, kid.
upside down flowers
Off the beaten path.
The view from above.
Jake and I with the countryside behind us.
Just enjoying the sunshine.

Jogexploration!

2009-03-12T09:55:00.004-07:00

With the weather here in Budapest starting to warm up enough to enjoy being outside, I feel more and more pent up inside the apartment during the day. I still haven't found a bike yet (perhaps I'll work on that more this weekend), so I've decided to pick up this alternative the people do to get around and exercise: jogging. Today I went down to Margit Island to check out Budapest's Exercising Hot Spot. A 5 km (hey look, I can use the metric system) track runs the perimeter of the island, the kind of track made of that nice spongy paving. Transversing the island counterclockwise (positive K direction, as we would say in my current math class) the Duna runs on your right, the parks of the island to your left. The result is an enjoyable little run on a sunny, early March afternoon.

Best sights I saw on the jog:
-Kayakers paddling up and down the river along the bank of the island, I want to do that one day!
-Families pedaling around the island in Bicycle cars, rentals I'm guessing, another thing I need to look into.
-Old Roman Ruins (I'll go back for some pictures)
-A ZOO! I saw some storks and other large birds
-The gigantic Gothic Parliament building spiking the riverside skyline, glowing in the low afternoon sun rays (need pictures of this too)
-The beautiful angel bust sculptures on the pillars of Margit Bridge
-Being in the middle of the Duna with the two sides of the city stretching out and the sunlight illuminating it all

I promise to return on another sunny afternoon, Camera equipped, to share the awesomeness with you. At the end of my jog, I descended a staircase to the bank and sat relaxing in the sun. The river has risen in height since my first arrival in January. Last week you could still see some of the rock banks, now the water level is halfway up the river walls. I'm looking forward to the weather continuing to improve and making new explorations in this crazy place!

Today

2009-03-10T13:32:00.002-07:00

Sunshine gleaming through my window woke me up at 7:30 AM, an hour before my alarm. While waiting to meet with my professor for Materials Engineering, I had a cappuccino from a Bianchi made vending machine.

I bought peanuts in the shell at the grocery store. I fixed scrambled eggs with mushrooms and blue cheese for dinner. I also had a glass of chocolate milk.

After finishing up my math homework, I went on a jog down Andrássy út, an old boulevard lined with trees and with the old metro line beneath. It's still pretty chilly outside. My shower felt awesome after the jog.

I can see the full moon out my window. It's a beautiful little orb, you should look at it when it's night where you are.

Lake Balaton Weekend

2009-03-08T15:42:00.027-07:00

Budapest to Balatonfüred

Balatonfüred to Tihany

Back to Balatonfüred and then to Keszthely

Keszthely to Heviz

Heviz Thermal Lake

And back to Budapest

A Glimpse of Blue Sky

2009-03-06T11:13:00.008-07:00

Some blue sky and sunshine managed to break through the morning misting. Decided to have fun with the camera.

Working out plans to visit Lake Balaton this weekend with the dudes. Hopefully we'll spend Saturday in Balatonfüred and the peninsula area, Sunday in Keszthely and Héviz checkin' the hot springs.

Turks and Americans invade Szimpla!

2009-03-05T10:57:00.003-07:00

Last night all of us really cool guys went and hung out at Szimpla, a real relax "alternative" bar: basically a huge old apartment building converted into an art supporting, eclectically decorated, multistory hang out.
Keremcan and Tuna from Turkey and IWill just hangin'

Milling

2009-03-04T10:30:00.003-07:00

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Beograd, Serbia (Belgrade for the Western World)

2009-03-02T07:35:00.006-07:00

Journal Entries:

26-2-2009
22:30 Keleti Palyudvar, Budapest. Listening to The Clash "London Calling" album from iPod. I saw a dude in front of the train station with an eye patch and, I swear, a fake plastic hand.

23:01 Train jerks forward, Elliott barely made it, Esperenza had to hold the door open while he ran to board.

22:30 Put The Clash back on, Clampdown is playing while our tickets are checked. Martin, a student from Germany who is studying in Istanbul joins our compartment (he heard the train is a little sketchy when traveling alone). Discussing currencies:
Martin: "Have a Turkish Coin"
Me: "Thanks, I can give you some forrints in exchange..."
Martin: "I'm not rich, but I'm not that poor!"

27-2-2009
06:30 Early Morning. Arrive, depart train, find hostel on 6th floor of an old apartment building nearby train station. Hostel host is from Miami, and has been living in Europe for 4 years, the last 2 in Serbia. We venture out for crepes and money. I withdraw 5000 dinar (~$70) for the weekend expenses, and a little extra for souvenirs. We are guided by Jeff (he's been to Belgrade at the beginning of the semester) to a fast food place offering pizza and crepes. Best idea ever. I have a nutella and "plazma" crepe (plazma is kind of like the stuff inside Whoppers candy crumbled up...). Return to the hostel, watch some Discovery channel, then Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in Serbian. Fall asleep until 11:00 AM.

11:00 For the day we explore the fortress and the war museum. Kalemegdan, the old fortress, stands at the meeting of the Duna and Sava rivers. Belgrade was once entirely enclosed by it's walls. It was conquered by the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires, and eventually returned to Serbian rule. Lots of awesome ruins. One currator of the war mueseum fought against the KLA in the early 90's.

15:15 It starts raining, we escape to a delicious Italian restaurant for dinner and dryness.

18:30 Returning to explore the streets. First glimpse of bombed buildings from 1999. Just put on Dave Brubeck.

20:30 St. Sava Cathedral. Impressive. Huge. Still in construction.

22:00 Return to Hostel. Chess Time. Lost the 1st game (lost the queen early, I'm rusty), well see how the second game goes...

23:00 Stalemate

28-2-2009

2:00 Going to sleep. Wandered around a bit, most of the crew went to a club on the 9th floor of some office building.

14:10 Waiting on people for forever. I just want to go explore more! Listening to Dert Floyd on iPod.

14:45 US Embassy, lots of police guards.

14:58 People made to delete photos of the Embassy by Police...(still have mine, don't look like a tourist, duh).

15:20 Made it to Tito's memorial. The green grass and birch tress are covered in white snow and bark.

17:00 Eat some more crepes at our favorite place. Explore Skadarska, the old Bohemian street of Belgrade.

20:00 Head back to the Hostel to pack up stuff. We pick up pizza to take on the train.

21:30 Make sure to choose a compartment with a working window. Share the compartment with Jesper, Jake and Brett. Talk about the sights we saw in Belgrade, and plans for future weekend trips...

1-3-2009
6:30 Arrive in Budapest. Go home and sleep for a big part of the day. Finish up some homework later in the day and fall asleep again (preventing a cold I feel trying to come on)

2-3-2009
9:50 Somehow my alarm didn't go off, so I rush off to get to lab on time. Hungarian Language class in the afternoon, and now finally at home!

It was a great weekend, and crazy to see other parts of the world, the bizarre differences that 7 hours of travel can make. The difference of being inside and outside the EU. The difference of a city with recent violent history. I really enjoyed traveling with the group, staying at the hostel, and exploring a new place. Looking forward to more good (and safe) trips.

Photos!!! and Flickr Photos!!!

Another Night Train....

2009-02-26T11:22:00.003-07:00

Tonight I'm taking a night train to Belgrade with a group of the international students for the weekend. The forecast predicts warming up, finally; all the snow is melting quickly. Walking down the street, you hear sounds of little waterfalls, as the water runs down the gutters to the street and below, eventually finding it's way to the Duna. Expect lots of pictures of Belgrade in a few days!

Melting Snow

2009-02-25T14:16:00.001-07:00

Material Engineering: Bicycle Science

2009-02-24T14:49:00.002-07:00

I met with the teacher for Materials Engineering today (a class I'm taking as independent study), and in looking around at the neat stuff they had around the laboratories, I found this little engineering specimen!

Another Snow Day

2009-02-23T13:09:00.005-07:00

I walk by this statue almost everyday on the way to the 4/6 tram, and just today realized how awesome it is.

Tiny Snow Plow Tractor, as adorable as machines get.

It is no Time Market, but man, a 80 forint Holland Cappuccino sure is delicious!

Day Trip: Szentendre

2009-02-21T13:13:00.012-07:00

You could call it country fever, but it was getting high time to get out of the city for a little change of scenery. For a whopping 125 forint ($.50) and 40 minutes time, Szentendre waits along the Danube north of Budapest. Cobblestone roads, ancient churches, waterfront promenades, quaint kavehaz, and smaller village charm, Szentendre has it all. Day Trippin'!
Even more photos at my flickr!

wait, how did we end up in china?

2009-02-21T03:52:00.003-07:00

The Chinatown of Budapest

Hungarian Evening

2009-02-19T18:11:00.008-07:00

This is stuff we looked at in class today:
Lathes, Milling Machines, Milling Centers, CNC Machines, and Production Lines. I want to get my hands greasy on them.

This is what we did with the international group in the evening:A traditional Hungarian dinner followed by folk dance and music. Of course Goulash was on the menu.

Yes, that is snow, and yes, that is a Nuclear Reactor Training Site behind me

2009-02-18T11:57:00.006-07:00

Hey, being in real snow is such a cool experience for me. We received a fresh blanket overnight. Will keeps on making fun of how often I make little comments about it.
Thomas: "Check out the icicles on the parked cars"
Will: "Have you ever been north or east of Arizona?"

Nonetheless, I continue to enjoy it like a child. I feel like it's Christmas again. The air isn't chilly, it's brisk, enjoyably nippy. Well, at least during the day, once the sun sets it's downright chilly. What else is new? I'm 200 pages into Bonfire of the Vanities. I found it in the random's closet of the apartment. I bought a little Basil plant and a Rosemary plant for 200 forint each at the market. I missed having something growing around. Classes are going well, and I'm meeting with a professor tomorrow to learn about some robot research we'll be doing while we are here. Stay sharp dear readers.

for your eyes

2009-02-17T12:32:00.005-07:00

Winter Wonderland and Scrumptious Sandwich!

REAL SNOW

2009-02-16T12:36:00.003-07:00

Finally, it quits joking around with us and puts some real effort in. No more of this "dropping in to say hi, but i've got some other stuff to do, so I really have to run..." No. This time it's finally sticking around, on the cars, on the sidewalks (mushy!), on the roofs. The boulevards are picturesque, trees delicatly ornate in white, footstep trails left on the sidewalk. Hopefully it keeps it up! Snow is still a novelty to me...

What do you do when it is sooo cold outside?

2009-02-15T13:59:00.002-07:00

Stay inside and read mostly. Read for school, read for fun, read the internet, read books. The forecast looks cold for at least the next week. I'm getting pent up in the apartment...

Vampire Weekend

2009-02-14T13:36:00.002-07:00

All I did today was putz around and made a the internet my playmate. Happy Valentines Day from this side of the world!

Day Salad

2009-02-13T11:15:00.006-07:00

I woke early, braved the cold, found the correct bus line, and mostly beat the crowd to the immigration office. I was pretty successful, I only had to wait about an hour in all. I almost have a residency permit, I just have to wait on a signature from my landlord on a form, and I should be good. No deportation for me!The rest of the day was much better. Rode the old Metro 1 back down to Hero's Square to check out the Műcsarnok for the Thomas Ruff photography retrospektív. Cool collection of photography exploring many less conventional nooks and crannies. There was lots of exploration into using pre-exisitng content and creating artwork from it. He used lots of images just found on the public domain of the internet, or old negatives from advertisments in the 20s or 30s, or random newspaper clippings. I'm into it.
Hmm, what else? I made tasty dinner with good salad. I've been playing with photoshop. Tonight there is another big international get together, which should be lots of fun. Hopefully it warms up sometime soon though...I'm jealous of Arizona weather.

Production Engineering

2009-02-12T13:29:00.002-07:00

Can't wait to get my hands on this stuff! I'll have to sit through some boring lectures first though...

Tomorrow morning, I make a valiant effort to stand in more lines, be barely understood, fill in forms, give money, etc. but I'll hopefully end up with the holy residency permit. That means I won't be an illegal alien. Cool!

And Campus Below

2009-02-12T01:27:00.000-07:00

Pay more attention to the weather forecast

2009-02-10T13:38:00.003-07:00

It looked like it was going to be nicer today, so I just wore my hoodie and a scarf. During our three hour Vibrations lecture on the fourth floor, I watched as the sky turned darker and the snow began to fall. And then more snow. And then more. It was a cold, wet walk across campus to the metro stop.
Actually it wasn't that bad, and the novelty of the snow still hasn't worn off for this desert kid. It gives me a new appreciation for heating. I'm not excited about waking up early for class tomorrow though...

Freezing First Day

2009-02-09T10:37:00.006-07:00

The weather must have known it was the first day of school. I woke to snow falling outside my window. I had a quick breakfast of nutella on rolls with orange juice, packed up my bag and bundled up to head over to campus. I first met with Professor Lovás for Material Science, which I'm taking as independent study. He gave me reading material, and then introduced me to the other professors who I will also learn from. Hopefully I'll also be able to practice welding as part of the class! I then met up with Will and many of the other English speaking students for our Measurement and Signal Processing Lab, only to find out (after some confusion) that it does not begin until next week. We decided to go visit our international advisor and then found a school supply store. Since the school has an Architecture College, there was a awesome little shop filled with drafting and assorted school supplies. Good to know for the future. We were felling hungry and cold, so we stopped by the cafeteria for some inexpensive Hungarian cooking. Can't beat lentil soup and potatoe salad and crepe for $5.With some more time to spare until our Math class, we took refuge from the cold outdoors by escaping to the Library. I'll have to go back to take more pictures inside the library, because it is a really impressive building, with wood furniture and bookshelves lending a traditional, classic library feel. We found the quite room, a large hall with rows and rows of desks with lamps at each seat. I looked over the material for my independent study class to get a head start on the reading.We braved the cold again to head to Math which we are also taking on an individual basis. After almost two hours of math lecture and practice (which went by suprisingly quick), we had one more task for the day on campus: to meet with our exchange professor and discuss our research for the semester. We took a little tour of the laboratory, and talked about the different projects which we can do. It was a busy day, but it looks like the semester is going to be really fun. Now I'm back at home, enjoying the warmth of being inside, and enjoying the warm food I cooked up inside me. Tomorrow is, thankfully, less busy, and hopefully the weather will be nicer. I hope it is for you too.

Finding Velodromes

2009-02-08T09:59:00.005-07:00

Today's little adventure: Find the Velodrome. I took the metro to Keleti train station, and then began to wander through the large sports complex nearby. I had read online that the very old Budapest Velodrome, over a hundred years old, was somewhere in this area. Finding it was quite difficult. I met many rusted, locked gates, fences, and no help from signs indicating where I might look. Eventually, I happened to glance down a side road and saw this sign in the distance:Looked promising. I went through the open gate in the fence, and wandered through the wooded area behind. The large hill seemed to suggest I was on the right track (track, pun, ha ha), and a staircase leading up the hill confirmed my suspicisons. Topping the stairs, I found what I had been looking for.The track, despite its age, stood below. It was empty so I spent some time wandering around. Unfortunately there was no one around to ask about races, or if it is still even used. I'll have to do more research online. At least I know where it is now. On the way out, I spotted something else you may enjoy:Bike Tire Tree

International Kids

2009-02-07T04:41:00.009-07:00

To finish up our orientation, the International Students Community planned fun activities, beginning in the afternoon and continuing into the night. We started out with a bus tour of Budapest, receiving some more history of the city, and ideas for more places to go explore. Hero's square was awesome, and there is a huge park and museum complex around it. I will definitely go back there. We also toured inside Mátyás (Mathias) Church inside the castle walls, which had amazing stained glass windows, gilded alter, and (in restoration) towering spires intricately decorated with color tile and stone sculpture.After the tour and returning to the University, we met our international mentors, local students who are here to help us adjust and show us the fun of the city. We broke up into little groups who went to various bars and restaurants for individual getting to know each other. The groups met up at a big international dorm where the mentors planned lots of fun activities and games.
It is fun meeting new people, and I'm looking forward to making some good international friends.

Getting There, Orientation Day 2

2009-02-05T15:13:00.003-07:00

Day 2 of orientation (or should I say máodik nap?). Today we had a brief history of Hungary, some introduction to the culture of Budapest, and a three hour "Survival in Hungarian" language course. Now I at least know the way to properly pronounce words...kind of. I've almost finished up my registration, looks like some fun classes (Vibrations, Measurement and Signal Processing, Production Engineering, Engineering Mathematics, and Materials Engineering). A few lectures, a few labs, a few independent studies. Also picked up my student travel pass, unlimited public transportation! Tomorrow we have some more business during the day and in the evening is the getting to know each other international student party. Hope you are doing well and life is looking good for you too, dear readers!

Orientation: the long quest of filling in forms

2009-02-04T15:14:00.004-07:00

Today began our orientation and official registration at BME. This meant lots of paperwork and waiting in lines. Our International adviser, Eszter Kiss, is really awesome and quite helpful. We got a glimpse of the University cafeteria food, and it was quite fulfilling. Now I have my student ID, my course registration form filled out, and I'll be meething with some of the professors tomorrow to work our classes and research. Exciting!!! The courses look like lots of fun, and the exchange program has some interesting trips planned throughout the semester, Krakow, Transylvania, and a few destinations inside Hungary. I'm also looking forward to meeting all the international students. Our group is pretty diverse, America, Germany, Spain, France, Brazil, Estonia, Turkey...Fun! Looks like it's going to be a good semester.

Rain

2009-02-03T12:49:00.002-07:00

Today I have a picture for you.

It was a rainy day again, but we made some important discoveries. The mixture of architecture in Budapest is crazy. The inner city streets are lined with hundred year old buildings ordained with color and sculpture, but worn by time and the events of passing time. On the outskirts, ominous soviet apartments loom, matching the gloomy sky above. The occasional modern building stick out just as much, rising above with shining glass facades that contrast the antiquity around it. As we wandered around today, I thought about the numerous lives lived here before I was even an spark in my great great grandparent's genes (or jeans, ha ha).

Buda Buda Buda

2009-02-02T15:32:00.003-07:00

Today we took the tram on over to the University to check out what was up. Turns out our orientation does not start officially until Wednesday morning. However, it was a informative trip. Will and I explored the campus, received the low down on some trips organized for later in the semester, and found the International Students office. The area around the campus is quite picturesque. Old apartment buildings stand in bright colors, despite the ivy which seems determined to pull them down to the ground.Last night we found a bar that was playing the Superbowl and enjoyed some good old American football. It was a pretty exciting game, despite the fact that it kept us up till 4 am local time. It was funny to be from Arizona and watch the hometeam underdogs play thousands of miles away. It was also bizarre to miss out on all of the superbowl commercials, the telecast we watched was from "ESPN AMERICA" the european broadcast of espn.

We stopped by the grand market hall on the way home and bought delicious bread, a loaf of dark and light bread twisted into a knot of yummyness. I managed to navigate us home without use of a map. Maybe I'm starting to become accoustemd to these winding streets. Webcam chat brightened up the evening, as well as leftover soup! Hope all is going well with you, dear readers.

Snow Day

2009-02-01T09:00:00.002-07:00

It's snowing outside. The flakes flutter to the ground, only to land on concrete just warm enough to melt the delicate formations. School starts this week. I'm looking forward to this new experience, meeting new people, and more learning. Every day here brings something new.

I'm reading "Breakfast of Champions" and thinking of creating. I've been playing with Photoshop, learning new techniques and experimenting with ideas in a digital medium. I also read a really good passage by Vonnegut today which goes like this:
"

There was a message written in pencil on the tiles by the roller towel. This was it:
"What is the purpose of life?"
Trout (Vonnegut's estranged main character) plundered his pockets for a pen or pencil. He had an answer to the question. But he had nothing to write with, not even a burnt match. So he left the question unanswered, but here is what he would have written, if he had found anything to write with:

To be
the eyes
and ears
and conscience
of the Creator of the Universe,
you fool.

"

Play at being the eyes and ears and conscience.

The Hills of Buda

2009-01-31T10:01:00.015-07:00

Today greeted us with more nice weather, light snow and sun. Bizarre. Will and I headed on over across the chain bridge and into hilly Buda to explore the castle district. A hike to the top of castle hill is the best vantage point of the town. To the east, Pest lays flat, the skyline spiked by the spires of churches and government buildings.
To the west sits Buda below the castle walls, brightly colored apartments against green vegetation, hills rising to the horizon, illuminated by the cloudy sky above.

The Castle Labyrinth stretches beneath the hill, dark and damp. Inside the castle walls themselves were shops, cafes, old churches and ruins of anchient times. This city is filled with so much to see, each day I find something new without even having to look. And for those who are concerned, the falcon man was there.

Sunlight and Another Roomate

2009-01-30T12:35:00.008-07:00

Will, the other student from the UA studying in Budapest (and being my roomie), arrived today. The weather decided to be nice and great him with some sunshine. Will slept a bit, the long flights are pretty draining and then we ordered pizza's online for dinner. Yum. Cheap too. For two, 6-topping pizzas delivered to your door, with tip was 3000 forint, a little under 15 bucks. And we have leftovers! Pizza Boy!

I've also been playing around with photoshop a lot...learning, finding brushes and fonts online, creating. Lots of fun. When I make some stuff I really like I'll put it up in a post.

Making Soup!

2009-01-29T09:21:00.002-07:00

Yum!

Snow Train

2009-01-28T12:57:00.005-07:00

Robs and I awoke early this morning. Grabbed the bags, caught the bus, had enough time for some more delicious German pretzels and then jumped onto corresponding trains. Robert headed west, myself east. Würzburg was fun, I'm glad to have been able to meet up with Robert and to also become friends with his new international friends. Perhaps a return to Würzburg when the weather is nicer? Maybe just a rendezvous in Austria? For now, I'm back in Budapest and starting to think about school. It's raining. I miss Arizona sunlight. Time rolls along.

Also, I highly recomend taking a train through the general Alps area in the winter. The endless snow is beautiful.

Play that Saxophone, Robert!

2009-01-27T04:49:00.006-07:00

There is a little pub located in a basement below Würzburg offering music, drink, and a great atmosphere: Omnibus. On various Monday nights throughout the semester, Robert has joined in on the weekly improv Jazz session. This Monday evening being his last here, Robert rocked the house. All his Würzburg friends showed up to cheer him on. Everyone will miss you Robert, and Tucson will be glad to get you back.

Watch some video here

So much fun!

2009-01-25T10:32:00.013-07:00

Robert and I have been taking advantage of every waking moment. We've hiked vineyards and farmland, eaten traditional Bavarian breakfast, enjoyed good company and drinks, and have had epic going away parties. Robert has met some awesome friends in Würzburg and they've been friendly enough to extend the invitation back anytime. Perhaps a tour of Austria will happen later in the spring.

I could write and write about what we've done, but a picture is worth a thousand words...

Robs and Würzburg!

2009-01-23T03:43:00.029-07:00

So, how does one place get to be so awesome? I mean seriously, this town is nestled in hillside rising beside gently flowing Main River. Atop the main hill sits Marienberg fortress, built in ancient times, expanded and improved by various inhabitants, surveying the red-tile roofed town below. Upon surrounding hillsides are plotted perfectly strait rows of grape vine trellis broken only by the roads ascending the hills. Despite the loss of many prominent landmarks by the destruction of WWII, the town has rebuilt and modernized (seems to be a German trend), while still maintaining it's Bavarian charm.
Hoping off the ICE 728 at 9 am, Robert greets me at the train station. I'm in Germany, so what do I do first? Eat something German, obviously. A local bakery provides the delicious meal to start the day: pastries and coffee. Refreshed and refueled, we set about to see the sights of the city. A stroll down the main boulevard encompasses the rebuilt churches with salvaged artifacts, the quaint storefronts, and everyone upon bicycles. Awesome. We tour the Residence, a palace and early political center of the town. Magnificent gardens surround the palace. The fountains have frozen into pure white ice sculpture. A fellow admirer, a jovial old German gentleman lets us know this is a sight that doesn't happen every year. We stop at another bakery to buy bread and a market across the street for cheese and tomatoes, our eventual lunch. Crossing the Main and passing by the guardian statues brings us to the bottom of fortress hill.

We climb the hill like were were the Swedes who first invaded and celebrated our conquer at the top by feasting on our bröt, cheese and tomato. The view of the town below is splendid. We continue the siege inside the castle walls, happy as two mammoth giraffes at the wine watering hole (sorry, no explanation on that one). We continue the adventures throughout the day, finishing with beer chilling in the snow and dinner at a friends apartment. We are now off for more fun and excitment!

Würzburg!

2009-01-22T13:26:00.003-07:00

The train trip was fine, I spent the day exploring the town with Robert and now have a few minutes to use the internet. We explored castles, chilled beer in the snow, had decadent Germany pastries, and basically were awesome. I'll give a full account soon with more internet time...

Cafes and Narrow Escapes

2009-01-21T08:53:00.006-07:00

Today I woke to a drizzling, dreary day. Budapest was being drenched by a light, but constant downfall from the gray sky above. On such a day, it seems like there is really only one option: relax at the cafe with more excellent coffee and then jump aboard the tram system for more exploration! I bundled up and headed down to Prága Kávéház, a elegant coffee house offering some excellent espresso. One Hundred Years of Solitude and a Mochachino.

To maximize my ticket worth, I found the greatest loop of the city I could take with minimal transfers: jump on the 47/49 across the Danube to Buda, exchange to the 61 until Maszka square, a major hub of many of the tram lines and the metro, and then return on the 4/6, passing by Margit Island and returning home. So far my tram experiences were quite fun, so it sounded like it was going to be a good trip. After finishing my Mochachino, I headed down to the nearby 47/49 stop. A short wait at the platform and I was abord, ready to validate my ticket...oh no. These ticket machines are different. So far I had used the newer trams that had digital ticket machines, but this older tram had a manual machine. I resorted to what had been working so far, wait to watch someone who knows what they're doing and imitate. A guy next to me put in his ticket and pulled the little lever, so I followed. Ok, nerves calm down. My ticket comes out with a little indent. Should be fine. I take a seat as we cross the river. Getting close to my stop for exchange and I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn around to a man wearing the arm band of the tram attendants. "ticket" he inquires. I dig in my pocket for my indented ticket to show that I was valid. He takes it looks at it funny, looks at me curiously, and then takes it and then shows me a ticket with a full hole punched through it. He puts my ticket in the validating machine and then pulls harder on the lever. Still with my ticket in his hand we arrive at a stop and he starts to head to the driver of the tram. Nervousness. Is he going to fine me? The door closing chime rings...we're only one stop from my exchange...I jump off the tram as the door closes and cross the street as the tram rolls off. I escaped! I wasn't trying to cheat the system, but my lack of Hungarian would have prevented me from telling my story and probably left me with a fine. And he did keep my ticket, so I paid for the trip. Well...I learn.

Ok, now I know better. The walk to the next stop allowed me to find a really good bakery, so I decided to stop in, partially to enjoy a delicious treat, partially to hide from the ticket man who I imagined might be now patrolling the streets for the rogue American who he probably supposes was cheating him.

The return trip was much better, with no more manual ticket machines. Tonight I'm off to see Robert in Germay. Hopefully this train ride will be smooth.

Slow days...

2009-01-20T13:16:00.005-07:00

The air was cooler again today, tiny water droplets falling occasionally. I succeeded in buying metro tickets, and jumped onto tram line #4 across Petőfi bridge to the University campus. After some wandering about the campus area, I ventured up Gellért hill to survey the bustling town below. What a view...Since it was on the way home, I returned to the grand market hall to try some of Hungary's famed Goulash and picked up a pastry for home. Not exactly sure what I bought (I need to learn a lot more Hungarian...) but it looked tasty, and was only 110 forint (50 cents or so). I ate it while watching Obama online. This pastry's to you Obama, hope you get things back on the right track.

I seem to wander a lot...

2009-01-19T15:45:00.011-07:00

But wandering is lots of fun. Today was much nicer...the temperature rose to a brisk 8˚C and the sun was feeling a little less timid! The nicer the day, the better the adventure. Today's adventures were Budapest's awesome market halls. Just on the other side of József boulevard is Rákóczi (I think that's the right name, that's the name of the square right next to it) market. Clumsily, due to my current lack of Hungarian language skills, I bought some bananas, an orange, and a quarter of a huge loaf of bread. Tasty! Continuing my journey brought me to the largest market hall in Budapest, Nagyvásárcsarnok. Awesome. It's huge. The first floor stalls were filled with produce, delis, bakeries, even a fish market that had a tank of HUGE catfish. Upstairs the stands were full of trinkets, t-shirts, little restaurants and locals relaxing.

Exploring winding streets eventually led me home. I'm starting to get my bearings straight. Shop windows offer glimpses into the lifestyle of Budapest. Old men inspect glimmering Rolex watches, their female counterparts carry bags of groceries home, bundled up against the cold. The younger crowd drolls at windows filled with the latest mobile phones. The busy stop in the numerous greasy gyros stops, or the McDonalds or Burger Kings that plague the city. The relaxed hit up the bars for pilsner. Did I mention that Hungarians smoke non-stop. In the streets, waiting for the tram, in the restaurant before, during and after food. Public dog crap seems to also be accepted. Cigarette buts and dog crap are two of common sidewalk sights. Watch your step!

In the evening Boris invited me to met up with some of his fellow students for coffee. They're finishing up their semester and almost done with exams. Their Univeristy (Economics) is close by, and housed in a old palace. Plush. We headed down to a cool basement cafe and had Vienna style coffee (served with sparkiling water, of course, i was informed. If it's not served with mineral water, it's not real Vienna). Really tasty. Finished off the night by exploring the stuff closet in the aparment. Found some cool stuff...I'm gathering one of the old tennants was a DJ. Fun fun fun.

Train Stations and more Wandering

2009-01-18T10:06:00.008-07:00

I awoke to light snow flurries falling through the frigid -4˚C air. Flakes stuck to the tile roof out the window and the cars parked along the narrow streets. I had a quick breakfast of rolls and strawberry jam, then began putting on the layers. Thermal undies, pants, shirt, wool socks, beanie, hoodie, thick jacket, shoes, gloves. Pockets: keys, wallet, ipod. Good to go. The cold greats me as I open the door and descend the stairs. Out the gate and then the main door of the apartment, I wait long enough to hear the click of the door locked shut before pressing play. I head towards Jósef körút (Joseph Boulevard) to Rákóczi ut towards Keleti Train station. Keleti Station is quite impressive, it's size allows it to be seen from ways down Rákóczi ut. More constrution is going on in Baross square in front of the station, a new metro line (#4) from what I could figure out. Inside, it takes me a while to find the international ticket counters. The teller spoke enough english for me to purchase a ticket to Würzburg; A night train to Munich, and then a faster Intercity Express train from Munich to the Wü. Thursday morning, I'll be hanging with Robert. All good. Also learned about special deals from Budapest for future travels...I returned home slowly, again letting curiousity lead me. I found one of the large open markets of Budapest just behind the constrution at Rákóczi park. Hopefully it will be open tomorrow...I'm eager to discover local produce! I had great dinner at a cafe around the corner, a goat cheese and fried zucchi dish with seasoned potato wedges, DELICIOUS! I also discoverd that the Frank Zappa Cafe is also extreamly close to my apartment ( http://www.zappacaffe.hu/ ). Totally awesome. I will have to try that someday soon. Final note: I made a flickr set to share more pictures. Looking forward to more awesome adventures soon.

Budapest - First Impressions

2009-01-17T15:56:00.006-07:00

Tonight I found myself out wandering the streets, beginning to figure this city out. I took a map, but mostly just let my curiosity guide me. As the small vein streets turned into larger arteries, I found the heart of the city: The mighty river Danube with majestic Buda Castle towering above. Letting my feet take me where they wanted, I continued across Széchenyi lánchíd, the robust chain bridge, passing stone lions that guard each end. Stone Lions don't seem to defer graffiti. I guess the city figures not many tourist come in the winter and let apperances slip...we'll see if it changes as the weather warms up. Ice floated along the river currents and gulls swooped overhead as traffic zoomed by.

Returning home allowed more practice in navigating the streets. Street signs are not too popular, most of them are hiding on a building near the intersection. The major streets glimmer with street lights, neon, advertisements, headlights. The minor streets, like mine are dark and quite.It's growing on me. Tonight's little adventure gave me lots to look forward to in living here. I stopped in the 24 hour shop on the corner to buy some strawberry jam for my rolls, and then climbed the flights of stairs to the apartment. I'll finish up by sharing a few pictures of the apartment and the awesome light switches. Oh, and I found an ATM that works. Tomorrow's goals: navigate my way to the train station and buy tickets to Germany to see Robert.

Inside the apartment looking into the bedroom

Awesome light switch!

holy crap, I'm here

2009-01-17T05:12:00.005-07:00

I arrived in Budapest around 5pm (17pm) last night (9am Tucson time). Awkwardly found the minibus and bought a ticket to the apartment. The address the landlord gave me was slightly wrong, but luckily close enough that he found me where the minibus dropped me off...he apologized. We went up to the flat, gave him the down payment on the apartment. We went to look for a ATM that would work, but with no success. Number 1 goal today: find a ATM that will accept my card. Arrived back at the apartment, and the landlord left without realizing he forgot to add my computer to the internet access. The roommate, German grad student Boris, kindly let me borrow his computer to send a few emails home. Shortly after I fell asleep. 24 hours travel with small naps in uncomfortable airplane seats or airport benches=12 hours of sleep. Feeling much better and less overwhelmed. Boris said he'd take me out to find pizza in a bit.

I really enjoyed the warm goodbyes from everyone and I'll miss you...but I'll also be having lots of fun.goodbye breakfastsunsets over the oceanout the apartment window looking into the courtyard

about to be off

2009-01-15T08:29:00.003-07:00

Bags are packed, I have my ipod charged, and some good books to read. We're currently sitting at the Cup Cafe downtown having goodbye breakfast. Seeing friends the past few days in Tucson has been wonderful. This time tomorrow, I should be landing in Budapest.

Beginnings of Goodbyes...

2009-01-12T18:21:00.006-07:00

Well, the anticipation is building. The days are counting down to my departure for Budapest. The weekend was filled with final family fun, a trip to Mexico for house building, a Bisbee quest, lots of good food, and some goodbyes. Packing is hectic, racking my brain for all the things I'll need. Warm clothes is at the top of the list. Now I'm in Tucson finalizing all my business and enjoying the company and wishes of a fun trip of friends. I'm hoping to keep posts regular, so keep on checking back...