Rain

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

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

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

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

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!

Yum!

Snow Train

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.