(Em)bracing Baja

While I tally up my list of "lasts," Baja counts down to its famous Bajai Halászlé Festival. Halászlé  is a savory fish soup made with a specific species of mirrored carp, and paprika. It simmers for hours in a big cauldron over an open flame. When a neighbor makes Halászlé the whole neighborhood smells delicious. Our family have a specific site set up on the property for butchering and cooking the fish. Work stops when the fish have to be but herd. My nephew came home from his job for a couple of hours to slaughter the fish one night on our last visit. It was a matter of course and his boss totally understood. The town braces itself for an influx of people that can temporarily double its population. 

As I ticked off my last langos at the piac I saw a young-ish woman in a lovely green dirndle. It was so simple and functional that I assumed it was regular street wear. It wasn't until later, after I turned in my key at the gym after my last workout, that I realized that the dirndle might be a costume. I saw a teenage boy waiting at a bus stop, he was wearing a traditional black suit with a feathered hat. And, he was playing with his phone. It was a wonderful incongruity. I saw this as I rode my bike past the Franz Liszt School of Music, where I hear an orchestra rehearsing. It all fell into place; the costumes, the platforms spot hat suddenly appeared on the walking street, and other signs of construction in Centrum. Thousands of people will soon converge on Baja from all over the world to compete. Not everyone is excited about it. Some long time residents stay away from Centrum for a while. Others are excited and regret that I can't stay to enjoy the event. Some year I would like to witness it. It must be grand!

This was a poignant week. I felt tearful several times. My sister in law and I went on our last bike ride, to the national park. We discovered that the trails run for miles. I plan on another adventure there when I return! We saw cousins in neighboring Fajst, we visited neighbors for the last time, and other neighbors visited us. Several brought gifts. (Writing "Thank you" notes in Hungarian is an adventure. I threw away as many as I wrote. You can't write "neigh" when you mean "néni"!) I got my eyebrows painted for the last time. I think this is a very sensible cosmetic procedure. In my niece's words, we just wake up looking this beautiful! We don't have to put on a new face each day and wash it off each night. At my last pedicure the technician gave me the cute little snail-shaped toe separator. It is pink and adorable with little antenna! I ate a cinnamon roll called Cocoa Snail. Snails are big here. Literally, see the picture!

Last night as I listened to the frogs through my open window I thought of how difficult the trip has been. I've spent 12 weeks immersed in one of the wickedest languages for an English speaker. I've gone from understanding about 1% of conversations to understanding 10-15%. My family always understand me, and my communication grew in vocabulary and complexity. Maybe I now speak like a 3-year old. Or not. My 3-year old cousin understands conversations better than I do. And my 7-year old cousin tutors me. Friends and family happily congratulate me and tell me I speak beautifully. But I think that is love talking (thank you!) because I still have a hard time hearing l, r, t, ö, ü, and ij. Well, maybe it's progress that I kind of know what I don't know! 

Now I am in Budapest. I stay with cousins till Tuesday morning, when I am off to Paris. I hope to get a makeup makeover, and get my hair trimmed. I am embarrassed to say that it was so hot in Baja that I took scissors to my already short hair, and snipped off about an inch. I got the hair off my neck because the heat and humidity was stifling me. All the cute, whispy, fringes my stylist created looked like I was just pulled dripping wet from a lake. Not a good look. So, now it's more like a bob cut. I hope a stylist in Paris can shape up a bit so it looks more intentional. 

I have a second round of "Goodbyes" this week, and a new "Hello!" Next stop, Charles de Gaulle Airport!

Stork family in their nest at the gym. I saw two storks fly over the house this week, and another one hunting in a field. I love them, they are so graceful. 

Global Fitness. I bought the T-shirt. It's pink. 

Global Fitness has all the equipment you need. 

And, a room for classes. Take Andi's aerobics or Pilats classes. Guaranteed to kick your you-know-what (in a good way!)

Now why did my sister in law insist I take a different picture?

Ok, here is a better picture. 

Cocoa Snail. Better than escargot. 

Country mouse and city mouse

Last weekend I went to Budapest for a few days. It was Memorial weekend in the USA, and Children's Weekend in Hungary. I felt like the country mouse going to visit the city. I got on the bus going north, and we drove through several picturesque villages.

For some foolish reason I presume that everyone is going to Budapest, so when I get on the bus I just say "good day," and hand the driver cash for the fare, without requesting my city. He looks at me. Oops! "Budapest, please." He makes change and gives me the ticket, "good day." The bus is full when it leaves Baja, and it empties out as we go north. People get on and off, mostly off. By the time we arrive there are only a dozen people on the bus.

I'm getting used to the stucco houses and shops with tile roofs. The really old buildings have moss growing on the tiles. It looks like lots of the roof tiles are made of stone. Some of the major buildings in the villages are made of stone, such as municipal buildings and churches. Most shops are brick covered with stucco. I keep my eyes open for stork nests, hoping to see a stork or some babies. I finally get a picture out the bus window, see below. May Day was May first, and it is a national holiday. I see decorated tres all over the place. In one town I saw giant dolls in a tree; a boy was climbing up to a girl at the top of the tree. I think that the idea was for him to reach her and ask to marry her. It's very sweet! After about a three hours we reach the Budapest suburbs. My cousin picks me up and takes me to the house. The children will arrive in the morning, so the adults have a quiet evening at home. .

The next day the children arrive. The little girl will turn seven this weekend, she has a friend over to play, and I play with them as well. It started out as Hide and Seek, but turned into Zombies. I was naturally, the Zombie (see the post about the dog bite). But after a while the little girls turned and started chasing me. I was a very fearful zombie! I ran away howling, waving my arms in the air. We made so much joyful noise that the next door neighbor girl came to join us. Little kids are such fun!

The birthday party was the next day, Saturday. So we went to the piac (bazaar) for fresh fruit, veggies and eggs. The city piac is open every day of the week unlike the country piac. Well, except for Shopping Day, of course. We also went to the toy store to pick up a couple of presents. I told her she could choose anything within a certain price range, and she got a little doll that smells like cake. It's a "thing" here, and she has several of those dolls. Children's Day is a big deal, and is actually the whole weekend. We buy presents for all the kids, even the children who are now grown ups. 

At the birthday party I met all kinds of relatives, great aunts, cousins, and people related by marriage. One of the friends has a plan to come to the USA and ride a Harley across Route 66. A wonderful tradition! We have a home made ladybug cake, it has fondant cling and marzipan flowers and antenna. The layers are strawberry and poppyseed. I bring several pieces back to Baja for the family here. We play football I the front yard before dinner, and share a round of fruit brandy, palinka. We all have to down our drinks in one tip of the glass. 

 The next day we go downtown and have a nice walk about with some, you guessed it - ice cream!  Just like in the country there are little shops of all sorts close by, an  auto mechanic is  right beside the house and you'd never know it. Naturally there are chickens and roosters all over the place. And ice cream stores a few blocks away. A friend of the family. Runs an import grocer, bringing fancy cheeses and oils from Italy. I don't think that kind of thing is available in our small town down south. 

The are a few differences, though. Our little town down south has some tourism, but nothing like Budapest. It's easyto feel like I live in Humgary since I'm staying with family. I enjoy watching tourists eagerly contributing to the national economy. Budapest has little two-man taxis, called Tuk-Tuk. I've seen them in Belize and Peru. They almost look like pedi cabs, with the driver up front, and a fold down-soft top for the two passengers. Compared to Budapest Baja is a sleepy town. I know there are tourists in Baja, but the downtown area is small and I don't see them as often. 

The ride back home is becoming familiar, I recognize towns and landmarks and I know when we are getting close. It was nice having TV, it helps with language. But it will also be nice to be able to ride my bike all over the place.